Knowledge Management in Product Development Projects in Developing Countries - A Case Study

Abstract: The purpose of this master thesis is to contribute to the reduction of knowledge loss and reinvention inside and between organizations pursuing product development projects in developing countries to ensure growth and improved living standards. Investigation and to determination of existing knowledge sharing and knowledge storing practices in several stakeholders of a product development project in Quelimane, Mozambique will be studied. The involved stakeholders are non-profit and governmental organizations and a group of university students. The product development project involved the design and implementation of an anaerobic digester during the spring of 2018. Collaborations between some of the stakeholders started in 2015 and will exceed the project duration. Mixed research methods were used, and open-ended question interviews were conducted for the qualitative data collection. The data was analyzed by coding to find common patterns and relationships. A literature review and desk research were made to obtain detailed information about knowledge management and other related subjects. Results showed that all organizations involved in the product development process experienced at least one barrier to knowledge transfer related to their position as a nonprofit organization pursuing product development in a developing country. The definition of a knowledge management strategy is as important for non-profit organizations as it is for for-profit organizations, but the current methods for choosing a strategy need to be modified in order to fit the overall strategy of such organizations. The implementation of a knowledge management strategy and suitable knowledge management methods and activities could contribute to the reduction of knowledge loss and reinvention inside and between organizations pursuing product development projects in developing countries to ensure growth and improved living standards.