The integration of knowledge management (KM) with total quality management (TQM) has a significant impact on project and organization performance. While previous literature has linked KM with TQM within the broader concept of organizational development and project performance, there was a notable gap concerning their application to construction projects in developing countries like Ghana. Thus, there is little information on the variables that contribute to their relationship. This study aimed to fill these gaps by investigating the integration of KM practices with TQM principles specifically in the Ghanaian construction industry, and identifying essential factors for this integration. A cross-sectional survey design was used and the population considered in this study consisted of architects, quantity surveyors, and civil engineers in the Ghanaian construction industry. The study adopted a purposive sampling technique. Quantitative data were collected from 256 professionals. Descriptive statistical techniques and the partial least squares structural equation modeling techniques were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that a one-unit rise in knowledge management processes (KMPs) corresponds to a roughly 0.839-standard deviation increase in TQM, suggesting that implementing KM will potentially improve the implementation of TQM principles during the delivery of construction projects. Conversely, a decrease in KMP is associated with a decrease in TQM. This can be implemented practically when there is leadership competence and commitment to ensure a culture of KM processes and TQM practices for the project to perform effectively. Theoretically, the study contributes to current discourse on KM and TQM from a fresh perspective.
Bukari et al. (Mon,) studied this question.