Assessment Of Factors Impacting Knowledge Transfer Success In Ethio Telecom: The Case Of Information Systems Projects
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Date
2018-11-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Knowledge transfer success is not often given attention as much as project completion success in many countries such as in Ethiopia. The aim of the research is to assess factors impacting knowledge transfer success at Ethio telecom in the case of Information System Division (ISD) projects particularly focusing on the Telecom Expansion Project (TEP). In doing so, four main factors were identified based on their impacts on project knowledge transfer success in outsourced projects: client factor, vendor factor, knowledge factor and relationship factors. The research is descriptive in nature and the data was collected using closed-ended questionnaires. The results were presented and analyzed using SPSS 25.0 tool. The research results revealed that Ethio telecom has the capability, motivation and commitment to obtain and absorb knowledge from its contracted projects. Vendor related factors such as language fluency, vendor trustworthiness and credibility should be given emphasis in order to successfully transfer knowledge in IS projects. Level of project knowledge complexity, ambiguity, tacitness and explicitness were also found to be equally important factors that impact knowledge transfer success. Cultural background and language difference were very important findings that both the vendor and client organizations should emphasize too. However, Factors such as geographical distance and knowledge’s tacit behavior did not affect knowledge transfer success in a project environment. Key findings also yielded that identified knowledge transfer success in IS projects were highly impacted by all the client, vendor, knowledge and client-vendor relationship factors. Though the research output showed that Ethio telecom is trying to obtain good knowledge from its projects, the recommendation is Ethio telecom or any other project organization should plan, design, implement, monitor and control knowledge transfer success on their projects in the same way that they plan, design, implement, monitor and control their project undertakings.
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IS Projects, Ethio telecom, Knowledge transfer factors, Project success.