Investigating knowledge management practices to minimize the impact in staff turnover :a case in manufacturing organizasions

Abstract

Skilled staff turnover plays a wide role in continuous knowledge loss in manufacturing organizations. The result of staff turnover impacts the organizational performance, productivity, effectiveness, employee performances and its knowledge. The importance of managing an organization’s knowledge is a need in manufacturing organizations. This research identified the importance of knowledge management in the manufacturing sector with high staff turnover. This enables project managers to take project knowledge management into practice within the organization. This study uses a qualitative approach. The aim of the study was achieved by a case study research strategy. Semi structured interviews were performed as data collection technique. Data was collected from TMC Trailer Manufactured Ltd, focusing on knowledge management methodologies used at the project phases and figure out the impact of staff turnover on organizational knowledge. The knowledge management techniques vary from one project phase to another project phase. Based on the outcome of this research, project managers can identify the most effective knowledge management techniques to be used at each phases. According to the study, the most frequently used KM techniques in the planning stage were “Learning & Idea Capturing” and “Refer Knowledge Base”. The most prominently used KM techniques in the designing stage was “Brainstorming” and “Learning & Idea Capturing”. While the most frequently used KM technique in the building, testing and launching stages was found to be “Refer Knowledge Base”. From this research study, project managers are clearly able to identify the critical areas affect by skilled staff turnover, how to prepare for in advance and minimize knowledge loss.