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Top1. Introduction
Knowledge transfer is the design and transmission of knowledge within an organization or between organizations to enhance learning and productivity of workers, which is essential in the overall success of the organization (Gaur et al., 2019). Based on this assumption, it is clear that knowledge transfer theoretically enhances performance. However, there is no indication as to how that applies to law firms in Nigeria. Olatokun and Olueze (2012) analyzed the attitude of Nigerian lawyers towards knowledge sharing but the study did not show how that could significantly determine their performance. Meanwhile, knowledge transfer is important to enhance the functions of organizations and it is also necessary to ensure that the stock of knowledge circulates within the organization (Patriotta et al., 2013). Effective knowledge transfer however may not be complete without the use of knowledge as knowledge transfer involves donation and collection (Wang, Ling & Li, 2021). It is possible that knowledge donated that is not put into proper use may not yield any positive benefit. Ikyanyon and Ode (2017) observed that it behooves on managers to develop strategies for effective knowledge transfer that will aid efficient knowledge use.
Knowledge use is basically important to knowledge recipient who employ knowledge for innovation and consequently improves organizational performance (Osabutey & Jin, 2016; Carvalho & Gomes, 2017). Moreover, the inability to apply knowledge received defeat the essence of knowledge transfer. Ha et al. (2016) observed that knowledge use is the process involving the application of knowledge for decision making and problem solving. In the case of Nigerian lawyers, the use of knowledge involves making informed decision as to legal practices and research, which could have effect on performance. Besides, knowledge application can help to transform knowledge from being a potential power tool into actual innovations or inventions, which can enhance overall performance of organizations (Matin et al., 2013). The bulk of lawyers’ responsibilities are knowledge-intensive and they are often given low margin of error in the course of their duty. Failure to apply knowledge properly and judiciously may lead to fatal error that could have consequential effect on the judicial cases being handled or invalidate legal opinion being offered. This supports the importance to understand how knowledge transfer and knowledge use predict law firm performance.
Ha et al. (2016) assert that organizational performance has been mostly assessed through financial based performance measures. It was stressed further that most widely used financial measures are return on assets (ROA), return on investments (ROI), return on equity (ROE), market share, sales growth, and profitability. Though these indicators are still the ultimate aim of most organizations’ operation, but measuring performance solely on these indicators are no longer adequate to measure competencies that modern organizations are looking for (Ha et al, 2016). Moreover, law firms may not be inclined to provide data on financial performance as some may deem it to be sensitive. Hence, this study measured law firm performance from the perspectives of non-financial performance. There is none but one empirical study (Olatokun & Elueze, 2012) on knowledge sharing among lawyers in Nigeria, which only examined knowledge sharing attitude of lawyers in Ibadan, Nigeria. With the importance of knowledge transfer and knowledge use to organization performance, the study did not investigate how knowledge shared are put into use and invariably predicts law firm performance in Nigeria. This left a gap which this study envisages to fill. Hence, this study focuses on the practices of knowledge transfer and use of knowledge as predictors of performance of law firms in Nigeria. The research questions guiding this study are as follow: