Influence of Standardised Knowledge Sharing Practices on Organisational Decision-Making at the Norwegian Refugee Council
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70619/vol5iss7pp56-68Keywords:
Knowledge sharing, decision-making effectiveness, humanitarian organizations, organizational performance, SomaliaAbstract
Norwegian Refugee Council Somalia experiences 50% longer emergency response times than sector standards, with decision-making delays directly impacting 1.2 million beneficiaries due to deteriorated knowledge-sharing systems where 40% of sharing attempts fail. This study investigated how standardised knowledge-sharing practices influence organizational decision-making effectiveness at NRC Somalia. Guided by Social Exchange Theory, Social Capital Theory, and Information Processing Theory, the research examined systematic knowledge exchange mechanisms' impact on decision outcomes. The study was conducted at NRC Somalia offices in Mogadishu, South Central Somalia, Puntland, and Somaliland using a cross-sectional survey design. The target population comprised 100 staff across five organizational levels. Census sampling eliminated sampling error. Data collection utilized structured questionnaires, achieving 89% response rate (n=89), semi-structured interviews with 18 key informants, and 67 organizational documents. Content validity was established through expert review, and reliability through Cronbach's alpha (α>0.70). Analysis employed descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation using SPSS v27. Findings revealed that only 14.6% agreed that tracking mechanisms existed, 28.1% confirmed effective digital platform utilization, while 57.3% reported delayed critical decisions, and 66.3% experienced bureaucratic delays. Correlation analysis demonstrated a strong positive relationship between knowledge sharing and decision-making effectiveness (r=.72, p<.001). The study concludes that informal WhatsApp networks compensate for failed formal systems while hierarchical filtering prevents critical knowledge from reaching decision-makers. Recommendations include: NRC management implementing unified mobile-optimized platforms; IT department establishing direct field-to-management channels; operations unit developing security-compliant protocols; monitoring unit creating tracking mechanisms; HR streamlining decision protocols. The study's novelty lies in quantifying knowledge sharing's predictive power in humanitarian contexts, demonstrating that addressing sharing deficiencies could improve decision-making effectiveness by 52%, ultimately enhancing humanitarian response capabilities for vulnerable populations.
References
Abdullahi, M. (2022). Knowledge management in Somali organizations. Academic Press.
Ahmad, F., & Karim, M. (2019). Impacts of knowledge sharing: A review and directions for future research. Journal of Workplace Learning, 31(3), 207-230. https://doi.org/10.1108/JWL-07-2018-0096
Ahmad, S., Hassan, M., & Ali, A. (2020). Gender dynamics in humanitarian organizations: A comparative analysis. International Journal of Humanitarian Studies, 15(3), 234-251.
Ahmed, F., Mohamed, S., & Hassan, A. (2023). Organizational learning in post-conflict environments: Evidence from Somalia. Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 41(2), 123-145.
Alavi, M., & Leidner, D. E. (2001). Knowledge management and knowledge management systems: Conceptual foundations and research issues. MIS Quarterly, 25(1), 107-136. https://doi.org/10.2307/3250961
Altay, N., & Labonte, M. (2014). Challenges in humanitarian information management and exchange: Evidence from Haiti. Disasters, 38(s2), s50-s72. https://doi.org/10.1111/disa.12052
Argote, L., & Ingram, P. (2000). Knowledge transfer: A basis for competitive advantage in firms. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 82(1), 150-169. https://doi.org/10.1006/obhd.2000.2893
Asiedu, K., & Ndlovu, T. (2022). Knowledge sharing patterns in African organizations: Cultural influences and organizational outcomes. African Journal of Management, 8(2), 78-95.
Bharosa, N., Lee, J., & Janssen, M. (2010). Challenges and obstacles in sharing and coordinating information during multi-agency disaster response: Propositions from field exercises. Information Systems Frontiers, 12(1), 49-65. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-009-9174-z
Blau, P. M. (1964). Exchange and power in social life. John Wiley & Sons.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). Thematic analysis: A practical guide. SAGE Publications.
Burton, R. M., & Obel, B. (2004). Strategic organizational diagnosis and design: The dynamics of fit (3rd ed.). Springer.
Coleman, J. S. (1988). Social capital in the creation of human capital. American Journal of Sociology, 94, S95-S120. https://doi.org/10.1086/228943
Comes, T. (2016). Cognitive biases in humanitarian sensemaking and decision-making: Lessons from field research. European Conference on Information Systems, 1-16.
Comes, T., Hiete, M., Schultmann, F., & Van Wassenhove, L. N. (2020). Decision maps: A framework for multi-criteria decision support under severe uncertainty. Decision Support Systems, 131, 113-126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dss.2020.113260
Cook, K. S., Cheshire, C., Rice, E. R., & Nakagawa, S. (2013). Social exchange theory. In J. DeLamater & A. Ward (Eds.), Handbook of social psychology (pp. 61-88). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6772-0_3
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2020). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Cropanzano, R., & Mitchell, M. S. (2005). Social exchange theory: An interdisciplinary review. Journal of Management, 31(6), 874-900. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206305279602
Davenport, T. H., & Prusak, L. (1998). Working knowledge: How organizations manage what they know. Harvard Business School Press.
Farah, M., & Ibrahim, A. (2022). Information systems in fragile states: Lessons from Somalia. Information Technology for Development, 28(4), 567-589. https://doi.org/10.1080/02681102.2021.1998644
Fast, L. (2014). Aid in danger: The perils and promise of humanitarianism. University of Pennsylvania Press.
Field, A. (2020). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS Statistics (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Galbraith, J. R. (1973). Designing complex organizations. Addison-Wesley.
Gralla, E., Goentzel, J., & Fine, C. (2016). Problem formulation and solution mechanisms: A behavioral study of humanitarian transportation planning. Production and Operations Management, 25(1), 22-35. https://doi.org/10.1111/poms.12496
Grant, R. M. (1996). Toward a knowledge-based theory of the firm. Strategic Management Journal, 17(S2), 109-122. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.4250171110
Hameed, I., Khan, A. K., Sabharwal, M., Arain, G. A., & Hameed, I. (2019). Managing successful change in public sector organizations: The role of employees' psychological capital and workplace well-being. Public Administration Review, 79(3), 354-368. https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13021
Hassan, M., & Ali, S. (2021). Humanitarian workforce challenges in complex emergencies: Evidence from East Africa. International Review of the Red Cross, 103(916), 245-268. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1816383121000102
Hassan, A., & Sheikh, M. (2021). Knowledge networks in post-conflict reconstruction: A case study of Mogadishu organizations. Post-Conflict Studies Journal, 12(3), 156-178.
Holste, S., & Zuo, L. (2023). Knowledge sharing in international humanitarian organizations: A systematic literature review. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 21(2), 189-205. https://doi.org/10.1080/14778238.2022.2086792
Ibrahim, K., Mohamed, H., & Ahmed, S. (2023). Workforce development in humanitarian contexts: Challenges and opportunities. Human Resource Development International, 26(2), 134-152. https://doi.org/10.1080/13678868.2022.2098765
ICRC. (2021). Knowledge management in humanitarian action: Annual report. International Committee of the Red Cross.
Inkpen, A. C., & Tsang, E. W. (2005). Social capital, networks, and knowledge transfer. Academy of Management Review, 30(1), 146-165. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2005.15281445
Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Kovács, G., & Spens, K. M. (2007). Humanitarian logistics in disaster relief operations. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 37(2), 99-114. https://doi.org/10.1108/09600030710734820
Li, M., & Thompson, R. (2023). Gender representation in international NGOs: Trends and implications. Nonprofit Management & Leadership, 33(4), 567-582. https://doi.org/10.1002/nml.21567
Mboya, S., & Juma, P. (2021). Cultural dimensions of knowledge sharing in East African organizations. African Studies Review, 64(3), 445-467. https://doi.org/10.1017/asr.2020.89
Mutambo, L., & Weru, J. (2022). Indigenous knowledge systems and organizational learning in Kenya. Knowledge Management for Development Journal, 18(1), 23-41.
Nonaka, I., & Takeuchi, H. (1995). The knowledge-creating company: How Japanese companies create the dynamics of innovation. Oxford University Press.
Omotayo, F. O., & Babalola, S. O. (2020). Factors influencing knowledge sharing behaviour among academic librarians in Nigeria. Library Management, 41(8/9), 559-570. https://doi.org/10.1108/LM-09-2019-0059
Osei-Kyei, R., & Chan, A. P. (2021). Knowledge sharing in construction organizations: A systematic review. Construction Management and Economics, 39(4), 285-303. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2021.1876892
Ramalingam, B., Scriven, K., & Foley, C. (2013). Innovations in international humanitarian action. ALNAP/ODI.
Raymond, N. A., & Card, B. L. (2015). Applying theories of cognition to humanitarian information management. Disasters, 39(4), 783-802. https://doi.org/10.1111/disa.12122
Sandvik, K. B. (2019). The humanitarian cyberspace: Shrinking space or an expanding frontier? Third World Quarterly, 40(1), 17-32. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2018.1446374
Sandvik, K. B., & Lohne, K. (2014). The rise of the humanitarian-development nexus: Implications for responsibility to protect. Responsibility to Protect, 6(2), 200-224. https://doi.org/10.1163/1875984X-00602004
Simon, H. A. (1997). Administrative behavior: A study of decision-making processes in administrative organizations (4th ed.). Free Press.
Sivarajah, U., & Irani, Z. (2022). AI-enabled knowledge management systems in humanitarian organizations: A systematic review. Information Systems Frontiers, 24(3), 891-912. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-021-10156-2
Sphere Association. (2018). The Sphere handbook: Humanitarian charter and minimum standards in humanitarian response (4th ed.). Practical Action Publishing.
Stephenson, M. (2005). Making humanitarian relief networks more effective: Operational coordination, trust, and sense making. Disasters, 29(4), 337-350. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0361-3666.2005.00297.x
Sturridge, C., Knox Clarke, P., & Campbell, L. (2023). Knowledge management in humanitarian action: Current practices and future directions. ALNAP.
UNOCHA. (2022). Global humanitarian overview 2023. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
UNOCHA. (2023). Humanitarian response review: Lessons learned and best practices. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Van Wassenhove, L. N. (2006). Humanitarian aid logistics: Supply chain management in high gear. Journal of the Operational Research Society, 57(5), 475-489. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jors.2602125
Vătămănescu, E. M., Gorgos, E. A., Ghigiu, A. M., & Pătruț, M. (2021). Bridging intellectual capital and SMEs internationalization through the lens of sustainable competitive advantages: A systematic literature review. Sustainability, 13(4), 2233. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042233
Wang, S., Noe, R. A., & Wang, Z. M. (2021). Motivating knowledge sharing in knowledge management systems: A quasi-field experiment. Journal of Management, 47(4), 978-1009. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206318805755
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Abdifatah Ali Abdi, Julie Kiarie, Paul Maku Gichohi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
