Relationship between Knowledge Management Resources and Employee Performance in Selected Food Manufacturing Firms in Nairobi, Kenya

Aim: This study aimed at examining the relationship between knowledge management resources and employee performance in selected food manufacturing firms in Nairobi, Kenya. Methods: The study adopted post-positivism philosophy, employed explanatory research design with stratified proportionate sampling technique and a sample of 384 respondents, using Fishers’ formula, from a target population of 12089 employees from 52 selected food manufacturing firms. A pilot study covering 40 respondents from 10 food manufacturing firms was conducted. For hypothesis testing, a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire was used to collect primary data and were administered through drop-and-collect later technique. Analyses involved descriptive statistics for percentages, mean and standard deviation as well as inferential statistics for correlation and regression analyses. Results: Results showed that though relational capital construct mean score met industry threshold, structural and human capital constructs did not. The study findings showed that knowledge resources have positive and significant influence on employee performance (β=0.79, p=0.000), thus, the null hypothesis was rejected. Conclusion: All the constructs had positive relationship and significant influence on employee performance, depicting that adjustments on resources construct activities would yield desired changes in employee performance with predictability. Recommendation: The study recommended industry managers to undertake corrective measures to refocus activities driving structural capital and human capital constructs, towards upscaling contribution of knowledge resources on employee performance in the food manufacturing firms.