The Role of Explicit Knowledge Management on Promoting Organizational Decision-Making at Norwegian Refugee Council, Somalia

Abstract

Organizational decision-making in humanitarian contexts is increasingly compromised by inadequate knowledge management systems. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) Somalia has experienced substantial deviations from humanitarian benchmarks, including 50% increased emergency response times and 35% decline in program implementation efficiency. This study investigated how explicit knowledge management practices influenced organizational decision-making effectiveness at NRC Somalia, aiming to develop evidence-based recommendations enhancing humanitarian response capabilities through improved decision-making processes. The study objectives examined how documented knowledge acquisition processes, formal knowledge storage mechanisms, standardized knowledge sharing practices, and systematic knowledge utilization influenced organizational decision-making at NRC Somalia. The theoretical framework was anchored in Nonaka and Takeuchi's SECI model of knowledge conversion and contemporary decision-making theory by Nutt and Wilson. The study was conducted within NRC's operations in Somalia, encompassing coordination offices in Mogadishu and field offices across South Central Somalia, Puntland, and Somaliland. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was utilized, grounded in pragmatism philosophical underpinning. The target population comprised 100 NRC Somalia staff across five organizational levels. A census approach was employed for quantitative data collection, while purposive sampling selected 17 key informants for qualitative interviews. Data collection utilized structured questionnaires, semi-structured interview guides, and document analysis protocols. Validity was established through expert review and cognitive interviewing, while reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficients exceeding 0.70 for all scales. The response rate was 89% (N=89). Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression, while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke's framework. Major findings revealed documented knowledge acquisition processes operated in fragmented, reactive episodes rather than systematic approaches, with 52.8% agreement on after-action review documentation but significant gaps in stakeholder engagement (24.7%) and validation mechanisms (24.7%). Formal knowledge storage mechanisms demonstrated systematic failure across twelve fragmented platforms, with only 33.7% agreement on adequate backup procedures and 9.0% agreement on digital repository functionality. Standardized knowledge sharing practices showed paradoxical relationships between formal and informal mechanisms, with 47.2% agreement on regular meetings but poor cross-regional exchanges (22.0%) and tracking mechanisms (14.6%). Systematic knowledge utilization revealed critical weaknesses, with only 31.5% agreement on lesson adaptation and 15.7% agreement on application monitoring systems. The combined knowledge management practices explained 64.8% of variance in organizational decision-making effectiveness (R² = 0.648, F (4,84) = 38.67, p < 0.001). The study concluded that fragmented knowledge management systems created fundamental barriers to effective decision-making, with informal networks compensating for formal system inadequacies while operating outside institutional visibility. Knowledge sharing practices emerged as the most influential factor for decision outcomes (r = 0.72), while systematic utilization represented the most critical weakness requiring comprehensive organizational culture changes. The study recommended implementing integrated knowledge management systems that formalize successful informal mechanisms, establish mandatory knowledge consultation requirements, and develop hybrid approaches balancing security imperatives with accessibility requirements. This study provided the first comprehensive empirical analysis of knowledge management's influence on humanitarian decision-making in Somalia's volatile context, contributing novel insights for both theoretical frameworks and humanitarian practice optimization.