ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING AS A MEDIATOR OF THE INFLUENCE OF TACIT KNOWLEDGE ON COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: LEARNING FROM ICT SERVICE PROVIDERS IN NAIROBI

Abstract

This study sought to determine how tacit knowledge interplays with organizational learning to enhance the competiveness of ICT content service providers in Nairobi. Many scholars, building on the resource- and knowledge-based theories of strategic management theory, have postulated that tacit knowledge is a valuable source of competitive advantage. However, there appear to be no empirical studies that have explicitly tested this theory in the Kenyan context. The current theory fills this gap. The study followed a post-positivist critical realism philosophical orientation and used a cross-sectional survey design approach. Accordingly, data was elicited from study participants using a self-administered survey instrument. The population for the study was the ICT content service providers licensed by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK), a fertile ground for ICT knowledge creation and dissemination. Out of the target population of 197 ICT content service providers licensed by the CAK, 135 firms provided valid responses to the survey. The study showed that organizational learning was a strong mediator of the influence of tacit knowledge on competitive advantage. The study is an additional building block in strategic management theories that show the importance of continuous enhancement of the productive knowledge of individuals as a driver of competitive advantage for an organization, particularly the Knowledge-Based View and Organizational Learning Theory. The insights from the study will motivate policy makers and strategic management practitioners to embrace and promote tacit knowledge and organizational learning practices in their respective organizations.