Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Brian Cesario

Abstract

Public sector projects in Africa fail because of the absence, poor quality, and inadequate exchange of tacit knowledge through the project life cycle. The purpose of this research was to understand the barriers team members experience in sharing their ideas, skills, and know-how that is necessary to prevent waste and achieve successful projects. The conceptual framework for this interpretative phenomenological study was from the theory of reasoned action and the theory of planned behavior. The framework served as the lens to identify and interpret the lived experience on tacit knowledge sharing of 13 project managers on public sector projects in Nigeria and Ghana. Data collected through semi-structured interviews were analysed to delineate barriers introduced by the organization, individual, team dynamics, technology, and knowledge sharing process. Three new barriers peculiar to the study were bureaucracy, corruption, and loyalty to the parent organization. Findings indicate that organizational culture is a significant factor responsible for these unique barriers, and a fundamental shift is, therefore, necessary for positive social change. Awareness of this result may catalyze the design of appropriate project and knowledge management strategies and frameworks, such as the creation of ethical guidelines to manage corrupt practices, address interference and mitigate the risk associated with bureaucratic bottlenecks. Ultimately the design of appropriate contextual based interventions, workplace protocols, training, and institutionalizing of best practices would aid in addressing and enhancing tacit knowledge sharing barriers on public sector projects in Anglophone West Africa creating social change.

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