Ascertaining the Knowledge Management Practices Applicable to Real Estate Development Projects in Rivers State

This study investigated the knowledge management (KM) practices in the real estate development industry in Rivers State, Nigeria, focusing on how these practices impact project success and identifying both challenges and opportunities for improvement. Adopting an interpretivist research philosophy, the study employs a case study design to provide an in-depth understanding of KM practices within the local context. The population for the study comprised ten real estate development companies in Port Harcourt, and was selected based on specific criteria, including a minimum of five years of operation and involvement in large-scale public-oriented projects. A sample of seventy employees, including project managers, engineers, surveyors, architects, and field staff, was drawn for the study. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, achieving an 86% response rate from the questionnaires. A combination of descriptive statistics and thematic content analysis was used to analyze the data, categorizing responses into major themes aligned with the research objectives. The findings revealed that KM practices, such as knowledge gathering, storing, distilling, and sharing, were largely underdeveloped in the real estate sector in the study area. Companies did not systematically gather knowledge from past projects or employees, and knowledge was typically stored in traditional, non-retrievable systems. There was a significant lack of knowledge sharing, and KM practices were not integrated into the organizational strategies. These findings highlighted a critical gap in the sector’s approach to KM, underscoring the need for structured KM systems, digital tools, and a culture of knowledge sharing to enhance project outcomes. The study concluded by recommending that the industry adopt formal KM strategies to improve collaboration, decision-making, and overall project success.