MBA717 Essay: Strategic Knowledge Management and MTN Ghana's Approach

This essay provides a comprehensive analysis of MTN Ghana's approach to strategic management of knowledge and organizational learning. It begins with an introduction that highlights the importance of knowledge management and organizational learning in the contemporary business environment, referencing the work of Huber and Pourkiani. The essay then delves into the core concepts, including knowledge management, social capital, intellectual capital, Balanced Scorecard, Soft Systems Thinking, and Communities of Practice. It examines MTN Ghana's specific strategies, such as the use of a knowledge database and intellectual capital to enhance learning and performance. The essay explores the roles of explicit and tacit knowledge, the significance of intellectual capital, and the application of strategic frameworks and tools like the Balanced Scorecard. The analysis also covers strategic marketing, sustainability, and competitive advantage, ultimately evaluating MTN Ghana's commitment to fostering a knowledge-driven organizational culture. The paper references the work of Nonaka, Bontis, and others, providing a robust theoretical foundation for the assessment of MTN Ghana's knowledge management practices.

Running Head: STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OF KNOWLEDGE AND
ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING - MTN GHANA 1
Strategic Management of Knowledge and Organizational Learning - MTN Ghana
Name:
Institution Affiliation:

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Introduction
In the present business society, strategic management of knowledge together with
organizational learning has remained to be one idea that has been recognized as a significant
aspect that influences organizational performance. The knowledge in operation of an
organization is dependent on its internal learning along with the activities of learning of several
elements outside operations of the organization. Accordance with the study by Huber (1991), the
process of organizational learning comprises of acquisition of knowledge, interpretation,
distribution of knowledge, together with memorization. It is argued by Pourkiani (2013) that
knowledge refers to the awareness, familiarity, or consciousness attained through learning
process or gaining experience from operations. Therefore, the primary target of this research
paper is to examine the tactic of the corporation to the policy administration of knowledge
together with organizational education by assessing different use of its strategic frameworks
together with devices.
This research paperwork will utilize the fundamental theme that comprise of
Management of Knowledge, social capital, intellectual capital, Balanced Scorecard, Soft Systems
Thinking, along with Communities of Practice to improve the examination of operations of
organization. The range of this examination is in line to the above presented theme along with
utilizing MTN Ghana as a case study for knowledge management and organizational learning.
Strategic management and organizational learning are one of the actions of MTN that is
international telecommunication enormous as the corporation in use (Bunyaminu & Quansah,

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2015). The technique utilized to perform this investigation comprises of examination of different
current literature review mainly review by the linked articles.
Strategic knowledge management as well as organizational learning
Strategic remains to be technique or policy selected to bring about the much-needed
future operations. Such desires comprise of the achievement of the mission or solution to the
operational problem. The strategy comprises of the idea that is concerned with making the
proposed policy to attain the required outcome in the particular duration (Oh, 2019). However,
policy management also refers to the broad gathering of the continuing operations as well as
processes that different corporations utilize to systematically align and coordinate different
resources and actions. They coordinate their actions to be in line with the set mission, strategy,
together with vision throughout operations of the organization. According to Nonaka (2012), the
enterprise knowledge is important in the business community as it helps in the creation of human
understanding. In the process of managing the knowledge created by the enterprise, it means that
corporations need to create the essential structures as well as devices essential in monitoring and
measuring their daily performances. Zawiła-Niedźwiecki (2015) together with Boone (2014)
encompassed the similar outlook that the fundamental elements that promote the idea of learning
are the networks of communication. They reported that such communication channels help in
inspiring individuals to create inquiry rather than depending on inaccessible tacit understanding.
There are several techniques that can be used to conceptualize the linkage between the
management of knowledge alongside organizational learning. For instance, organizational
learning concentrates on ideal process whereas management of knowledge places prominence on

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the matter of the much-needed understanding that is developed, processed, as well as utilized by
management and stakeholders of different organizations (Mainert, Niepel, Lans, & Greiff, 2018).
Therefore, the primary goal of the management of knowledge remains to increase process of
organizational learning. Furthermore, organizational learning as well as knowledge management
fosters the process of them learning through different techniques. Such techniques comprise of
dialogue together with discussions that are skillful. Different teams within operations of the
organization have the ability to alter their joint thinking along with education to create a superior
capability alongside energy than the total of talents among the member of an organization
(Venkitachalam & Willmott, 2015). The ideal techniques of creating shared learning within an
organization tend to establish the focus on joint organizational purpose. Individuals are able to
learn on different techniques responsible for promoting or cultivating the significance of
dedication in the corporation through the creation of common descriptions of the prospect they
are focusing to develop and the values with steering operations by which they expect to attain.
Management of Knowledge
Knowledge administration refers to the processes, setting up, motivating, classifying, and
scheming of individuals, and system in the corporation to guarantee that its knowledge lined
possessions are enhanced and successfully utilized. Merat & Bo (2013) denotes that management
of knowledge is important about attaining the appropriate understanding of the right individual at
the stale duration. In the same study, the authors argued that administration of knowledge can
also consist of the advance formation of knowledge or it might solely center on the allotment of
knowledge, its storage, alongside its refinement. Conversely, Nonaka (1991) was of similar view
with Ceptureanu (2016) by stating that the idea involved in the creation of knowledge like

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discovering new knowledge is not a specified activity. Nonaka (1991) further stated that the
management of knowledge is just a way of behaving within operations. For efficient
management of knowledge, different organizations are required to be capable to identify as well
as classify the knowledge and establish the setting that can guarantee its appropriate usage.
The policy used for management of knowledge of any corporation can be grouped as
codification policy or personalization plan. Fundamentally, there exist 2 distinct kinds of
understanding that have been clearly recognized (Bontis, Ciambotti, Palazzi, & Sgro (2018). The
identified types of knowledge comprise of:-
 Explicit knowledge
 Tactic knowledge
Explicit understanding is also known to be codified knowledge. These kinds of facts are
always found within documents. However, the tactic knowledge is also termed to as the non-
codified comprehension (Ceptureanu, 2016). This kind of acquaintance in the management of the
organization is experienced based on its nature. In this kind of knowledge, aspect of knowledge
is a term to be situated in different databases or it is collected by the technique of distribution of
experiences as well as ideal practices. Besides, such kind of knowledge is gathered from
different sources that might not necessarily be found within the limits of an organization
(Nonaka, 2012). Therefore, an explicit type of understanding can be stock up in different
database or credentials. However, implicit understanding exists in the brains of individuals and
cannot be stored in a database of documents that can be readily accessible by every individual.
MTN’s Approach to strategic management of knowledge and organization learning

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Knowledge management in MTN Organization
In every operating organization such as MTN in Ghana, knowledge and its management
has remained an essential asset when it is shared among the company’s shareholders and other
stakeholders. At MTN Ghana, there is the Database for Knowledge created on the portal when
relevant knowledge concerning work is posted as well as made available to every staff within the
corporation. Such relevant knowledge always comprises of validated data and data that are
proofread. For instance, Al Ahmar, Rofiq, & Zain Hadiwodjojo (2014) stated that academic
capital also comprises of the abilities together with understanding the MTN Corporation has
advanced in regards to the creation of its goods or process of rendering of its basic services to
targeted and esteem customers around the business society (Bunyaminu & Quansah, 2014). In
MTN Organization, the use of Intellectual capita to enhance the process of knowledge
administration has contributed to an immense database where the new staff is able to learn
different techniques of how to perform their daily operations without a struggle.
Intellectual capital as well as social capital
There are ranges of descriptions that can be taken into consideration by referring to
Intellectual Asset or Intellectual Capital. For instance, Boateng (2014) described Intellectual
Capital within the operations of organizations to be vague of registered knowledge of an
organization. Such kind of knowledge does operate as the composition of skills, knowledge,
information, together with experience that affect the current as well as prospect achievement of
the business. It also helps organizations to establish their rank in comparison with other different

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organizations around the global business settings. In other times, the significance of organization
was revealed basically by its economic along with physical of material assets.
Strategic marketing
In past operations, organizations had neglected the use of human funds or intellectual
assets (Swift & Virick, 2013). However, Intellectual resources also comprise of abilities or
knowledge that the organization possesses through its workers, particularly the skill sets of
workers, attitudes, and aptitudes. The attitude in different management if knowledge of
organization comprises of human understanding that is not possessed by the corporation,
although can be described as well as conveyed to add importance to the corporation. Moreover, it
is the accountability of every corporation to exploit on the several facts that workers pose
attained on employment by confining as well as conveying the understanding to present together
with targeted and prospect workers. For instance, an organization such as MTN in Ghana have
changed its operations and see the relevance together with the significance of the value IC
contributes to its general value in a business setting. Besides, MTN Organization believes in
possessing workers that are skilled and trained (Allameh, 2018). The idea of having such staff
was to ensure that the company has to establish the Learning Portal. Establishment of such a
portal within operations of MTN made it possible for the staff to receive mandatory courses
annually.
Sustainability
The idea of offering mandatory courses to workers by the management of MTN in every
financial year has been useful. The idea has encouraged several workers to upgrade its operations

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in ensuring that they help the organization to achieve its operational goals (Garanina & Dumay,
2017). Every worker and stakeholder of MTN is able to improve their operations right after
completing their courses. Every worker has been able to develop personal plans for their
personal operations. The program is useful in monitoring as well as measuring in performance
reviews by different managers of MTN on a yearly basis. Moreover, to enhance and share an
understanding of various fundamental staff in operations, they are propelled on secondment in
extra MTN OPCOs within various states away from Ghana. Such operations show the
commitment of management towards the process of escalating intellectual assets (Vale, Branco,
& Ribeiro, 2016). However, with a concentration of administration of MTN within the
advancement of human possession or intellectual possession, it has improved the entire
worthiness of the corporation.
Strategic frameworks and tools
Balance scorecard
The use of Balanced Scorecard techniques in different operations of companies was
instigated in the early days of 1992 by Dr. Kaplan Robert alongside Dr. Norton David. The
system was instigated as a framework to be used in measuring the performance that extra
planned non-financial measures presentation to customary metrics of the economy. It had the
main purpose of giving organization administrators and executives a further “balanced” outlook
of the presentation of the organization (Wong-On-Wing, Liu, & Yang, 2013). Therefore, it is
true that the measurement of improvements in performance is a useful aspect of the operations of
managers.

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According to a study by Wong-On-Wing, Liu, & Yang, (2013) and Osati & Omidvari,
(2016), their respective work emphasizes that learning among individuals is more than training.
Such an idea is true as learning comprises of different things that comprise of tutors and mentors
within corporations. It also leads to easing of communication among employees that enable them
to be ready in their operations by getting assistance on the issue when the desires arise. Right
following the introduction of Balanced Scorecard through two individuals, the technique has
been adopted by several organizations all over the global business community (Osati &
Omidvari, 2016). The tool is presently used as an administration device for communicating,
relating, and executing different strategies of managing knowledge and learning organization.
Besides, Balanced Scorecard comprises of presentation in societies, as process perception targets
when such performances do add to the segregation in the policy of organization of knowledge
alongside learning organization.
Competitive advantage and managing strategic corporate change of Balanced Scorecard
In the process of measuring performance, MTN Ghana employs the use of the
fundamental device to gauge different presentations that are the significant indicator of
performance. Every separation within the business setting as the collection of Key Performance
Indicator (KPI) targets that effective steps to be attained annually. These targets within the
operations of MTN Ghana are reviewed twice within a year as a way of ensuring they are
effectively achieved (Bunyaminu & Quansah, 2015). This KPI within MTN is incorporated with
an annual system of presentation as the similarity goes for the personal workers of the company.
Besides, another sector that corporation evaluates the pleasure of its clients for rendered service
is through use of a computing tool referred to as Score of Net Promoter (NPS).

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Communities of Practice (CoP)
To attain advancement as well as success, different organizations focus on the idea of
employing different policies that not just gratifying to the internal functions of the organization,
but ideally guarantying that worker are well-organized. The practice of community (CoP) forms
the group whose associates are always involved in the process of division along with learning
rooted in their shared benefits (Sterrett, Hawkins, Hertweck, & Schreiber, 2015). MTN Ghana as
an organization has practices of communities that comprise of the network. Such networks
within operations of MTN Ghana concentrate on capability, the system that offers proficiency
and the network of the practice of communities. The practices are casual and these systems
develop the bond amongst workers with common responsibilities and abilities in operations (van
Weele, Steinz, & van Rijnsoever, 2017). Besides, through CoP workers are capable of
connecting with experts within their societies and they can earn from one another through the
ideas of developing and sharing advanced thoughts to add significance.
Competitive advantage and managing strategic corporate change of CoP
As different corporation’s advances in their operations, dimensions, and complexity, it is
apparent that offering much sustain together with attention of group as those within MTN is the
policy essential in improving performance of the organization. The CoP in MTN Ghana remains
to be the Product together with Service Committee (PSCOM) solely responsible for ensuring
different services as well as products are created and are like the expected standard (van Weele,
Steinz, & van Rijnsoever, 2017). Therefore, a community of practice within the management of
knowledge is responsible for reviewing endorsing, and submitting the document of Proof of

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Concept (PoC) that comprise of the scope, efficient design of implementation and certification of
resolutions to predictable disputes (FAQs). Besides, another CoP that is valuable in operations
of the organization is the Unit of Call Center dispute analysis organization. For instance, MTN
Ghana existing as the massive telecommunication organization in Ghana obtains different
grievances from its clients throughout the Call Centers. Such complaints by their customers are
regarding charges that they incur when they make calls. The committee is charged to find as well
as investigate enduring solutions to these grievances that arise (Sterrett, Hawkins, Hertweck, &
Schreiber, 2015). Hence, improvement in operations of an organization can be attained through
engagement network of workers to encourage the association of individuals and their thoughts
concerning the success of the corporation.
Soft Systems Thinking
From the description by Professor Ackoff, the system refers to be the whole that
comprises of at least two sections of each of which can influence the properties or the traits of
the whole. The system is also described by Wang & Wang (2016) as a whole that is defined by
its function in the huge systems of which it forms its part. Every part of the system in the process
of management of knowledge and organizational learning has an impact on a whole. There is one
fundamental property of a system that cannot operate if it is separated into parts that are
independent in nature. Therefore, the presentation of the whole is considered to be more than the
shared actions of individual sections (Dominici, 2017). Hence, it is an approach that the
interaction of such segments make organizations to be successful in their operations.

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The idea of system thinking remains to be the idea of administration of understanding and
managerial learning that concerns with the effective understanding of the system. It works by
examining different linkages as well as communications between different mechanisms that
include the sum of that described scheme within the operation of a company (Sandrock, 2015). It
is the manner that parts of operations converge together that decides the system presentation but
not on the manner that they are able to perform separately. In a real sense, knowledge
management in an organization has made sure that management in different organizations is able
to control the particular sections or sections of operation as a whole, but not as separate. For
instance, in MTN Ghana, there exist usual meetings being prepared that comprise of the
legislature of each section of the business (Allameh, 2018). The aim of such organizations of
meetings has been to ensure that each and every individual within the operations of MTN Ghana
works in accordance with the alignment of vision and organizational mission. The idea of having
meeting ensure that presentation of the MTN Corporation is efficiently attained or remain to be
tracked anchored in the underlined KPIs or set objectives.
Competitive advantage and managing strategic corporate change of Soft Systems Thinking
According to the research conducted by Dominici (2017), Soft systems methodology is
useful in the operations of companies. The article described that idea to be the strategy used in
the process of examining and evaluating involved problem circumstances and recovering suitable
enhancements that could be created to such instances. The main objective of soft system
methodology in operations of the corporations is to attain enhancement to the system as this is
attained through the multiple processes for gathering data, analyzing, describing data, and
debating about the outcome (Wang & Wang, 2016). Hence, management of knowledge and

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organizational learning remains to be an important aspect in a soft system that is founded upon
the mounting body of hypothesis concerning the trait of criticism that leads to expansion or
constancy over the duration.
Conclusion
It is apparent from the above discussion that organizations learn to improve their
operations by learning on how they can effectively encode inferences. They can encode such
inferences into a routine that guide traits that comprise of rules, forms, convections, procedures,
the advancement of technologies around corporations to be developed. The company can
improve on their process of knowledge management and organizational learning during which
they function by improving their plan of attitude, frameworks, systems, customs, and
understanding that hold up and conflict the proper operations. The idea of managerial learning
promotes individual study in order to appreciate change along with interdependencies. Hence,
through learning, organizations are more successful with the ideas that shape the penalties of
measures of the corporation. Techniques and devices, for instance, several kinds of labs of
learning with imitations together with systems archetypes aid different individuals to view how
to change systems more efficiently. The ideas also aid in the determination of how to operate
more in tune with the massive processes of the economic and natural global society.
Administration of understanding and organizational education is useful because such ideas go far
to improve the process of advancement of worker with the administration. Hence, in the
extended operation, such operations affect the presentation of the organization such as MTN
Ghana and other corporations in the global business community.

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