An Analysis of Knowledge Management Practices and Competitive Performance in Hotels in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, South South Nigeria

This study analyses knowledge management practices and their relationship to competitive performance in hotels in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, South South Nigeria. Knowledge management, encompassing the processes of knowledge creation, sharing, storage, and application, has been identified as a critical capability for service organisations seeking sustained competitive advantage, yet its examination in Nigerian hotel contexts remains underrepresented in the literature. A quantitative research design is adopted with questionnaires administered to 220 hotel managers and supervisory staff across 18 hotels in the Port Harcourt metropolitan area. A knowledge management capability scale covering four dimensions of knowledge acquisition, dissemination, interpretation, and application is used alongside competitive performance indicators including occupancy rate, guest satisfaction scores, and market share estimates. Pearson correlation and multiple regression analyses are applied. Findings reveal statistically significant positive relationships between all four knowledge management dimensions and competitive performance indicators. Knowledge application, operationalised as the ability to translate learned insights into operational improvements, demonstrates the strongest and most consistent association with performance. Hotels with formal knowledge management systems including documented service standards, knowledge-sharing platforms, and post-incident learning reviews outperform informal counterparts on all competitive measures. The study recommends formalisation of knowledge management systems, incentivised knowledge sharing cultures, and linkages with university hospitality departments for applied research collaboration. Keywords: knowledge management, competitive performance, hotel management, Port Harcourt, organisational learning