Knowledge Management as a Determinant of Social, Economic and Environmental Sustainability in Social Enterprises in Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract

This research focused on social enterprises in Lagos State, Nigeria, and the impact knowledge management has on their sustainability. Using the Resource-Based View, Knowledge-Based Theory, and Organisational Learning, the current research has been able to understand one relational aspect of knowledge management, which is divided into four dimensions, namely, knowledge generation, utilisation, sharing, and storage, and how they impact the three (3) branches of sustainability, which are economic, social and environmental. A quantitative correlational research methodology was employed. Primary data was obtained by the means of structured questionnaires administered to 486 social enterprises that were purposefully sampled from a target population of 80,740 enterprises located in Lagos State. The cross-sectional descriptive research method was supplemented by the use of questionnaires, which reflect the constructs of the study, and were measured by the use of multi-item validated scales that have been proven to have reliability. The statistical tools employed descriptive statistics, and regression analysis The results denote that knowledge utilisation and knowledge storage have positive influence and impact on economic, social, and environmental sustainability, but knowledge generation and sharing have weak and statistically no impact in the sustainability of social enterprises in accordance to the research. This denotes that the sustainability of social enterprises is not the mere creation or generation of knowledge, but the transformation or application of the knowledge that has the impact. The most important aspect of the model is that there is enough value in sustaining internal knowledge capabilities. Sustainability in social enterprises is the process of building internal knowledge capabilities. This is a demonstration that the current sustainable development goals (SDGs) can be achieved by privatising the social enterprises and it adds to the social enterprise and knowledge management literature by showing that different dimensions of knowledge have different impacts on sustainability. The study emphasizes that social enterprises developing better organized systems for capturing and applying knowledge for improving resilience and developmental impact over the long term.