IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jadmsc/v15y2025i6p218-d1671563.html

Framework for Tacit Knowledge Loss Mitigation in South African Public Sector Enterprises

Author

Listed:
  • Malefetjane Phineas Phaladi

    (Department of Information Systems, Durban University of Technology, Durban 4001, South Africa)

Abstract

In order to mitigate the risks of losing key personnel and their innate tacit knowledge resources, this paper explored a framework for reducing knowledge loss in South African public sector enterprises (PSEs) through the integration of knowledge management (KM) and human resource management (HRM) strategies. The study used a quantitative research design, administering survey questionnaires to 585 randomly selected employees in three South African PSEs. The survey yielded a 25% response rate and was analysed using Statistical Analysis Software, resulting in a Cronbach alpha of 0.94. The findings of the exploratory factor analysis showed that a framework for reducing knowledge loss can be developed by integrating HRM practices and focusing on seven factors: knowledge loss recognition, knowledge management practices, human resource training, organisational culture, recruitment practices, employee retention, and organisational barriers. Three important components constitute the developed framework for knowledge loss minimization. Tacit knowledge loss was recognised as a critical strategic issue based on the results of the chi-square test for independence and logistic regression. This realisation, along with control and intervention variables, created the three main components of the framework. This paper explored the Knowledge Loss Reduction framework, focusing on South African PSEs as a case, to help organisations address the complex tacit knowledge loss prevalent in public and commercial firms worldwide. It contributes to the knowledge-based view, focusing on knowledge-absorptive and -retentive capacities and praxis in knowledge (risk) management and human resource management.

Suggested Citation

  • Malefetjane Phineas Phaladi, 2025. "Framework for Tacit Knowledge Loss Mitigation in South African Public Sector Enterprises," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-32, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jadmsc:v:15:y:2025:i:6:p:218-:d:1671563
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/15/6/218/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/15/6/218/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mert Gürlek & Muharrem Tuna, 2018. "Reinforcing competitive advantage through green organizational culture and green innovation," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(7-8), pages 467-491, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kusa, Rafał & Suder, Marcin & Duda, Joanna, 2023. "Impact of greening on performance in the hospitality industry: Moderating effect of flexibility and inter-organizational cooperation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    2. Serdar Çop & Victor Oluwafemi Olorunsola & Uju Violet Alola, 2021. "Achieving environmental sustainability through green transformational leadership policy: Can green team resilience help?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(1), pages 671-682, January.
    3. Zhiwei Yan & Xuerong Peng & Seoki Lee & Leibao Zhang, 2023. "How do multiple cognitions shape corporate proactive environmental strategies? The joint effects of environmental awareness and entrepreneurial orientation," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(4), pages 1592-1617, September.
    4. Thac Dang‐Van & Tan Vo‐Thanh & Jianming Wang & Ninh Nguyen, 2023. "Luxury hotels' green practices and consumer brand identification: The roles of perceived green service innovation and perceived values," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(7), pages 4568-4583, November.
    5. Azeem, Muhammad & Ahmed, Munir & Haider, Sajid & Sajjad, Muhammad, 2021. "Expanding competitive advantage through organizational culture, knowledge sharing and organizational innovation," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    6. Xinyue Hao & Fanglin Chen & Zhongfei Chen, 2022. "Does green innovation increase enterprise value?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(3), pages 1232-1247, March.
    7. Sofia Gomes & Micaela Pinho & João M. Lopes, 2024. "From environmental sustainability practices to green innovations: Evidence from small and medium‐sized manufacturing companies," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(3), pages 1677-1687, May.
    8. Xinwei Li & Wenjuan Zeng & Mao Xu, 2022. "The Moderating Role of IT Capability on Green Innovation and Ambidexterity: Towards a Corporate Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-20, December.
    9. Samson Mbanje & Joseph Mutangadura & Blessing Takawira & Joseph Mithi, 2025. "Exploring business process outsourcing services and activities for sustainable competitive advantage in the emerging markets a case of mobile telecom operators," International Journal of Business Ecosystem & Strategy (2687-2293), Bussecon International Academy, vol. 7(3), pages 41-57, June.
    10. Ali Nawaz Khan & Naseer Abbas Khan, 2022. "The nexuses between transformational leadership and employee green organisational citizenship behaviour: Role of environmental attitude and green dedication," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(3), pages 921-933, March.
    11. Juan Carlos Fandos-Roig & Javier Sánchez-García & Sandra Tena-Monferrer & Luis José Callarisa-Fiol, 2020. "Does CSR Help to Retain Customers in a Service Company?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-21, December.
    12. Nayak, Bishwajit & Bhattacharyya, Som Sekhar & Krishnamoorthy, Bala, 2021. "Explicating the role of emerging technologies and firm capabilities towards attainment of competitive advantage in health insurance service firms," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    13. Lu, Zhiqiang & Li, Hongyu, 2023. "Does environmental information disclosure affect green innovation?," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 47-59.
    14. Small, Felicity & Mehmet, Michael & Miles, Morgan P., 2019. "Applying a causal ambush marketing framework to social media: The ‘Pleasure is Diverse’ campaign and the Australian marriage amendment," Australasian marketing journal, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 149-157.
    15. Juhari Noor Faezah & Mohd Yusoff Yusliza & T. Ramayah & Charbel Jose Chiappetta Jabbour & Sebastian Kot, 2024. "Green human resource management and employee ecological behaviour: Testing green culture and green satisfaction as parallel mediators in Malaysian higher education," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(5), pages 4280-4297, September.
    16. Xuan, Siyuan & Song, Daqiang & You, Guomin, 2024. "Financial risk prevention and corporate green innovation: A quasi-natural experiment based on the new asset management regulation," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    17. Büttgen, Marion & Hogreve, Jens & Zechiel, Felix & Bartsch, Silke & Lorz, Tamara & Trischler, Jakob & Westman Trischler, Jessica & Kuusisto, Jari & Svensson, Peter & Keiningham, Timothy & Aksoy, Lerza, 2023. "Sustainability in Service Research," SMR - Journal of Service Management Research, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 7(3), pages 147-173.
    18. Jianhua Zhang & Farrah Nayab Jehangir & Lan Yang & Muhammad Abubakar Tahir & Shanza Tabasum, 2025. "Competitive Advantage and Firm Performance: The Role of Organizational Culture, Organizational Innovation, and Knowledge Sharing," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 16(1), pages 3081-3107, March.
    19. Serdar Cop & Uju Violet Alola & Andrew Adewale Alola, 2020. "Perceived behavioral control as a mediator of hotels' green training, environmental commitment, and organizational citizenship behavior: A sustainable environmental practice," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(8), pages 3495-3508, December.
    20. Wu, Wenhan & Wu, Wenzhuo & Wu, Kouhua & Ding, Chen, 2022. "The nexus between green innovations and natural resources commodity prices in China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jadmsc:v:15:y:2025:i:6:p:218-:d:1671563. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.