Informal structures in knowledge and the effectiveness of the transfer process among construction workers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Abstract

The combination of both Structured Knowledge Transfer (SKT) and Unstructured Knowledge Transfer (UKT) processes is important for Knowledge Transfer Effectiveness (KTE) in construction workplace practices. However, the extant literature suggests that there is a high level of KTE in informal construction practices where UKTs are dominant while SKTs are rare as prevailing Knowledge Transfer Structures (KTSs). This study, therefore, analyzes the impact of knowledge transfer structures on the KTE in informal workplace practices. A questionnaire survey was used to collect data from 417 craftsmen under informal construction practices in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Using correlation and binary logistics regression analyses, the strength of association between KTE under different KTSs was evaluated. The study suggests that both SKT and UKT positively influence KTE under different conditions, although the magnitude of effect is relatively higher in SKT than UKT, even when the overall process is considered informal. In addition, the increase in KTS increases KTE, providing some justification for planned and organized forms of knowledge transfer and sharing, even in informal workplace practices. In contrast to SKT processes, UKT processes are significantly influenced by codification, motivation, trade specialization and transferor-transferee agreement. The findings from this study contribute to the understanding of KTSs in informal workplace practices and that the transfer, though dominated by UKT processes, enables practitioners to internalise a high degree of structures well.

Keywords:

• informal construction
• informal organization
• knowledge sharing
• knowledge transfer
• structures

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplemental data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed 10.1080/20421338.2023.2209479.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst.