INVESTIGATING THE EFFICIENCY OF INDIVIDUAL-EXPLICIT KNOWLEDGE IN THE TELECOMMUNICATION’S SECTOR OF AN EMERGING ECONOMY

  • Ayodotun Stephen Ibidunni Covenant University
  • Alex Omankhanlen Covenant University
Keywords: Organisational knowledge, Individual-explicit knowledge, Developing Economies, Operational Efficiency, Data Envelopment Analysis

Abstract

This study investigated efficiency in the utilization of the individual-explicit knowledge of a firm. The sample included 42 customer service centers (CSCs) of the four most active Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) organisations in Lagos State and FCT, Nigeria. The research adopted the input-oriented data envelopment analysis model to determine the extent to which individual-explicit knowledge, as a vital input resource to telecommunications firms, is efficiently utilized by the CSCs to improve the firms’ values. The study revealed that 10 CSCs, representing 23.8 percen of those studied, were technically efficient using the constant returns to scale model. In contrast, the variable returns to scale model showed that 22 CSCs, or 52 percent of them, were technically inefficient. The results suggest that, with less than 50 percent of the total number of CSCs in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry being inefficient, there is a large volume of operational inefficiency, especially concerning the utilization of individual-explicit knowledge. As such, the telecommunications industry could benefit from managerial intervention, especially in building the capacity of the customer desk officers in the CSCs to attend promptly and accurately to customers’ queries. Also, the study established that a viable strategic direction would be that organizations in the telecommunications industry renew their focus on a balanced mix of supervisor-subordinates in each CSC. This study contributes to operations management and the organizational knowledge management literature by showcasing the data envelopment analysis methodology as a legitimate tool for improving understanding of the investigations into the efficiency of individual-explicit knowledge. This study offers practical implications for firm managers about specific activities and units of their firm that contribute the most to the organization, and other specific units/activities that are less productive. The study also provides directions for future studies.

Author Biographies

Ayodotun Stephen Ibidunni, Covenant University

Ibidunni, Ayodotun Stephen, is rsearch and teaching faculty member in Covenant University. He earned his PhD in 2017 in the field of Business Administration (specialization in Strategy & Operations Management) from
Covenant University. His research works use concepts and theories of strategy, operations management and entrepreneurship to promote quality life, corporate competitiveness and poverty eradication. He has publications
in peer-reviewed international conferences and journals, including Journal of African Business, Journal of Workplace Learning, Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Africa Journal of Economics and Management Studies, Managerial and Decision Economics and Higher Education, Skills and Work-based Learning.

Alex Omankhanlen, Covenant University

Omankhanlen, Alexander is a Senior Lecturer in Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria. He earned his BSc  in 1992 and Masters in Finance (2002) from Enugu State University of Science and Technology, and his PhD (2013) in Banking and Finance from Covenant University ,Ota. His research interest(s) include Banking, Monetary Policy, and Pension Capital Market.

References

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Published
2021-08-08
How to Cite
Ibidunni, A. S., & Omankhanlen, A. (2021). INVESTIGATING THE EFFICIENCY OF INDIVIDUAL-EXPLICIT KNOWLEDGE IN THE TELECOMMUNICATION’S SECTOR OF AN EMERGING ECONOMY. Gadjah Mada International Journal of Business, 23(3), 295-313. Retrieved from https://jurnal.ugm.ac.id/v3/gamaijb/article/view/15756