Abstract:
Knowledge is a crucial component in the growth of any economy and forms a significant fraction
of all the resources required for organizational growth. Out of the renowned factors of
production, three out of the five factors (60 percent) are human factors (resource) who are
actually, the main drivers of knowledge management and tacit knowledge sharing. In the Kenyan
civil service, there seems to be ignorance about the amount of knowledge that flows through the
service every day. Chief among the reasons for this scenario are strong hierarchy and
bureaucracies that impede workforce communication and interactions and consequently, the
generation, distribution and sharing of knowledge and information which is crucial for
organizational performance. The study sought to establish the role played by workforce
communication and interactions as a driver of tacit knowledge sharing, and the consequent effect
this has on performance of the Kenya public sector. The study was guided by intellectual capital
theory and Nonaka’s model of knowledge creation. The study employed use of descriptive
research design and targeted all public sector departments in Kenya. Eight counties namely
Samburu, Makueni, Kirinyaga, Kilifi, Nairobi, Homa Bay, Bungoma and Garissa, formed the
sample of the study. The study adopted purposive sampling and simple random sampling to seek
responses from targeted civil servants. Data was collected by use of questionnaires, was analysed
and presented using tables and other appropriate presentations. Chief among the conclusions
made was that workforce communication and interactions had insignificant influence on tacit
knowledge sharing in all the counties under study, save for Garissa, Makueni and Kirinyaga
counties. Among the key recommendations, were creation of knowledge repositories whereby
crucial information is stored and retrieved at will in order to propagate a knowledge economy. In
addition, there should be automation of workflows for ease of work and enhancement of
Government service delivery efficiency.
