Factors of Knowledge Management That Influence Project Management Success in the UAE Oil And Gas Industry

Abstract

This study investigates the role of knowledge management in enhancing project success within the oil and gas sector, with a focus on Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). Project management success is increasingly recognised as a multidimensional concept that extends beyond the traditional constraints of time, cost, and quality to encompass stakeholder satisfaction, organisational learning, and long-term strategic impact. To explore this, the research examined five key dimensions of knowledge management which are Knowledge Leadership, Knowledge Culture, Knowledge Processes, Knowledge Technology, and Knowledge Sharing. A purposive sampling technique was employed to ensure the inclusion of respondents with relevant expertise, resulting in a sample of 179 ADNOC employees directly engaged in project management activities. Data were analysed in two stages: first, normality was assessed using skewness and kurtosis values, confirming the suitability of the dataset for statistical testing; second, descriptive statistics were examined through mean scores derived from Likert-scale responses. The findings revealed that employees generally perceive ADNOC as supportive of knowledge management practices. Knowledge Leadership, Culture, Processes, and Sharing were consistently rated positively, highlighting strengths in organisational support, reward systems, documentation, expertise, and collaborative behaviours. However, Knowledge Technology showed greater variation, with weaker engagement in external sharing and active technology-based participation, indicating areas for improvement. Overall, the study concludes that ADNOC has established a strong foundation for knowledge management, but further reinforcement in technological adoption, collaboration, and collective knowledge confidence is required to fully embed knowledge practices and achieve sustainable project success.