Bridging Transitions: Knowledge Transfer Strategies as a Foundation for Succession Planning and Organizational Performance of Kitui County Government

Organizational performance has been cited as a key concern for every organization. In the dynamically changing environment, succession planning is gaining popularity as a driver of organizational performance in the public sector. Despite growing interest in public sector reform, there remains a significant dearth of empirical research examining knowledge transfer strategies as a foundational component of succession planning and organizational performance, particularly during staff transitions in the public sector. Accordingly, this study assessed the influence of knowledge transfer strategies on the organizational performance of Kitui County Government. The study was underpinned by the knowledge-based view theory. A correlational research design focusing on succession planning was employed in the study. The study targeted 10 departments of the Kitui County Government, where the 8,114 employees were the units of observation. A sample size of 367 respondents was obtained using the formula suggested by Krejcie and Morgan. Stratified sampling design and simple random sampling were used to identify respondents from each department. Data were collected suing both questionnaires and interview guide. Quantitative data were analyzed to yield descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The study concludes that knowledge transfer strategies play a critical role in enhancing organizational performance within the Kitui County Government. The findings reveal a statistically significant and positive relationship between knowledge transfer strategies and organizational performance (r = 0.842; β = 0.478; p =0.000), indicating that effective knowledge transfer serves as a strong foundation for successful succession planning and improved institutional outcomes. The findings of this study would be beneficial to the County Government and other policymakers in their policymaking on succession planning. It would be useful to academicians and researchers by providing evidence-based insights and serving as a reference guide for future research.