EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTS OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IMPLEMENTATION ON EXCELLENCE IN THE NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS: THE CASE OF CARE ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The main purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of knowledge management implementation on excellence in the non-governmental organization, using CARE Ethiopia as case organization. The study focused on evaluating the implementation of knowledge management to determine knowledge is recognized as an important asset in the NGO sector in Ethiopia; to determine the effectiveness of knowledge management implementation with a focus on the Culture, Leadership, Incentive & Motivation, knowledge sharing, and Technology and also determine the implementation of KM influence the performance of the organization. The research design adopted for the study was descriptive survey method. The target population of this study was all the staff members of the case organization – CARE in Ethiopia. The study used purposive sampling. This sampling procedure is found to be convenient due to its nature and formation of representation. The sample size for the study was 53 employees selected from the entire study population. The study collected primary data by use of semi-structured questionnaires. The completed questionnaires edited for completeness, consistency, checked for errors and omissions and then coded to SPSS version 26 for qualitative, and quantitative analysis. This enabled the researcher to make general statements in terms of the observed attributes. The research revealed that there were indications that the organization faced some couple of challenges in the implementation process of knowledge management. The research revealed that lack of awareness about KM and written supporting policies, absence of dedicated functional unit and dedicated personnel to KM, lack of employee interactions, mistrust amongst employees, and lack of suitable KM environment are some of the findings. In general, the research concludes that even though the organization has a well-established infrastructure, connected globally and with very good opportunities to acquire, adopt, implement, store and share the required knowledge, no much effort was made to utilize and benefit the organization in the course of achieving organizational excellence. The research finally recommended the required efforts to be made from the organizational perspective to ensure the implementation of KM and achieve organizational goals and objectives which ultimately leads to excellence.