Knowledge Management Practices and Service Quality in Nigerian Public Sector Organisations: The Mediating Role of Organisational Trust

Abstract

Introduction: Persistent service quality challenges in Nigeria’s public sector have been linked to poor knowledge-sharing cultures, knowledge hoarding, and low organisational trust, which constrain effective service delivery. Despite significant investments in public administration reforms, the sector continues to grapple with inefficiencies linked to poor responsiveness, bureaucratic bottlenecks, and inadequate alignment of services with citizens’ needs. Service delivery in Nigeria often fails to meet public expectations, as indicated by recurrent complaints about slow response times, lack of transparency, and uneven access to essential services.

Objectives: This study examined the effects of knowledge hoarding, knowledge transfer, and knowledge utilisation on service quality and the mediating role of organisational trust.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was adopted, and quantitative data were collected from 1,474 staff in public agencies under the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM).

Results: Results showed that knowledge hoarding had a modest but significant positive effect on service quality (β = 0.101, p < 0.005), knowledge transfer (β = 0.198, p < 0.001) and knowledge utilisation (β = 0.219, p < 0.001) had stronger positive effects. Organisational trust significantly mediated these relationships, enhancing service quality. The findings revealed that knowledge transfer and knowledge utilisation had strong positive effects on service quality, confirming that sharing and applying knowledge are vital for improving public services. Knowledge hoarding showed a modest positive direct effect, which suggests that in certain contexts, retained knowledge may still contribute indirectly to service outcomes. Organisational trust was found to mediate the relationships between all KM practices and service quality, underscoring its role in enabling effective knowledge flows and collective action within public institutions. the study confirms that KM practices, when supported by organisational trust, significantly improve the quality of services delivered by public sector agencies in Nigeria.

Conclusions: These findings highlight the need for public institutions to move beyond traditional hierarchical models of knowledge control towards more participatory and trust-based knowledge management systems. Such systems are better suited to address the complex demands of modern governance and rising citizen expectations for efficient and equitable services.