Knowledge management strategies and organizational performance in middle-level medical training colleges in Nairobi County, Kenya

This examined how knowledge management strategies affect organizational performance in middle-level Medical Training Colleges in Nairobi County, Kenya. Guided by Organizational Knowledge Creation Theory, the Resource-Based View, Social Exchange Theory, and Dynamic Capabilities Theory, the study conceptualized knowledge creation, storage, sharing, and utilization as key determinants of institutional performance. The study adopted a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, combining quantitative survey data from 253 respondents across 10 colleges with qualitative interviews and document analysis. Regression results indicated that knowledge management strategies collectively had a statistically significant effect on organizational performance (F(4,198) = 62.96, p < 0.001). Knowledge utilization emerged as the strongest predictor of performance (β = 0.458, p < 0.001), followed by knowledge creation (β = 0.248, p < 0.001). In contrast, knowledge storage (β = 0.010, p = 0.891) and knowledge sharing (β = −0.038, p = 0.647) did not independently predict performance. The findings suggest that knowledge contributes to improved student outcomes, operational efficiency, and staff satisfaction primarily when it is actively applied in curriculum development, clinical training, and administrative decision-making. The study concludes that middle-level medical training colleges can improve organizational performance by prioritizing structured knowledge use and strengthening mechanisms that integrate creation, storage, and sharing into practice.