Knowledge Management and Lifelong Learning in the Workplace The Impact of Savoir Transfer on Continuous Work-based Learning in HEIs – Case of Moroccan Universities

Abstract In an era where knowledge is a “currency” and an indicator of performance, it has become important to make it last. For it to be constant, it has to be conserved at an organizational level, which implies engaging institutional mechanisms. Knowledge Management (KM) allows to store and apply valuable knowledge and skills, transfer it to individuals and groups and allows to create an informal work-based learning space. Learning becomes then continuous, despite age, education or status and throughout the life span. This paper aims to theoretically frame the link between knowledge management and informal lifelong learning (LLL) in the workplace, precisely in the context of knowledge economies. The empirical research focuses on the case of Moroccan Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to verify if they align with KM enablers and examine if they would provide a favorable environment for knowledge transfer and, by extension, for lifelong learning. To accomplish these objectives, the first part is dedicated to defining the basic concepts of the discussion and displaying their characteristics/correlations based on literature. The second part clearly indicates our positioning towards the matter and explains the steps of the survey’s elaborations, whilst the last part discusses responses and their interpretations. The paper concludes with the research limitations and a few proposals to improve the Moroccan participation in KM and LLL. Keywords: Knowledge Economy – Knowledge Management – Morocco – Higher Education Institutions – Education - Work-based Learning – Informal Learning - Lifelong Learning