Knowledge sharing among public sector employees: evidence from Malaysia
05 Apr 2011-International Journal of Public Sector Management (Emerald Group Publishing Limited)-Vol. 24, Iss: 3, pp 206-226
TL;DR: In this paper, a survey-based methodology employing a research questionnaire was used to elicit the views of public sector employees towards the importance of knowledge sharing (KS); identify the barriers to KS; and identify initiatives that may encourage KS.
Abstract: Purpose – The main purpose of this paper is to: identify the views of public sector employees towards the importance of Knowledge Sharing (KS); identify the barriers to KS; and identify initiatives that may encourage KS.Design/methodology/approach – The design employed in this research was mainly descriptive in nature. A survey‐based methodology employing a research questionnaire was used to elicit the views of public sector employees towards KS. A total of 320 questionnaires were randomly distributed and 170 were successfully collected, giving a response rate of 60 percent.Findings – The results showed that the respondents were very positive in their views towards “importance of KS” and they also strongly felt that knowledge was a source of competitive advantage. However, they were of the view that the importance of knowledge sharing was not clearly communicated and many of them were not sure whether KS strategy existed in their department. The public sector employees also showed self‐serving biases when...
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used the IBM Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) 23 software to study knowledge sharing in the South African local government sector and found that although knowledge sharing is viewed as important by the respondents, this task is not encouraged among employees, and appears to be the least supported task selected by most municipalities.
Abstract: Knowledge is regarded as an important resource for the survival of every organisation. Sharing of such knowledge is even more crucial and an important task for the survival of organisations. Despite its importance, it appears that knowledge sharing is the most neglected task in the South African local government sector. This study used the quantitative research approach. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and analysed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) 23 software. The results of the study revealed that although knowledge sharing is viewed as important by the respondents, this task is not encouraged among employees, and appears to be the least supported task selected by most municipalities. There is insufficient information technology infrastructure to support knowledge sharing; there is no reward system to encourage employees to engage in knowledge sharing; and there is lack of support from the municipal management to facilitate knowledge sharing among employees and across the municipalities. Therefore, the municipalities need to implement the reward system and to acquire relevant ICT infrastructure to motivate and stimulate the culture of knowledge sharing.
4 citations
TL;DR: An investigation into the alignment of Knowledge Management tools with KM processes under the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) implementation and an exploratory case study was conducted.
Abstract: This paper reports an investigation into the alignment of Knowledge Management (KM) tools with KM processes under the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) implementation. An exploratory case study was...
4 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated strategies and the integration of technology in knowledge sharing among academics in selected institutions of higher learning in Kenya and found that universities shared knowledge through various strategies/forums such as conferences, teaching, seminars, workshops, mentorship of the novice by the experts, especially in the science-based disciplines and institutional repository.
Abstract: Purpose of the study: The study investigated strategies and the integration of technology in knowledge sharing amongst academics in selected institutions of higher learning in Kenya.
Methodology: The study utilized a descriptive survey design and adopted a qualitative approach. Semi-structured interview schedules were used to collect data from a sample of four public universities from which 54 respondents were purposely selected and successfully interviewed. The collected data was analyzed thematically.
Main Findings: The findings of the study revealed that universities shared knowledge through various strategies/ forums such as conferences, teaching, seminars, workshops, mentorship of the novice by the experts, especially in the science-based disciplines and institutional repository, among others. The study identified the existence of communities of practice, which were mainly informal, and policies were the primary inhibitor to knowledge sharing. The study established the integration of information technology in knowledge sharing as mostly asynchronous.
Applications of this study: The study findings can be applied in both the public and private sectors. They contribute to research in Knowledge Management as a discipline and as a business strategy.
Novelty/Originality of this study: The study provides data to the limited visible research in knowledge sharing strategies in institutions of higher learning, especially in Kenya.
4 citations
01 Jan 2013
TL;DR: In this article, the authors build a knowledge sharing model among managers in the Malaysian public service based on the reviews of relevant knowledge sharing literature and from the lens of Theory of Planned Behaviour and Self-Determination Theory, several factors were found to be potential predictors of manager's knowledge sharing behaviour.
Abstract: Limited studies have focused on the factors that influence knowledge sharing behaviour of managers in the Malaysian public service. Moreover, little is known about the predictors of knowledge sharing behaviour, incorporating its two dimensions i.e. knowledge donating and knowledge collecting. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to build a knowledge sharing model among managers in the Malaysian public service. Based on the reviews of relevant knowledge sharing literature and from the lens of Theory of Planned Behaviour and Self-Determination Theory, several factors were found to be potential predictors of manager’s knowledge sharing behaviour. Individual factor (attitude towards knowledge sharing), organisational factor (organisational climate) and resource factors (time availability and ICT support) are important predictors of intention to share knowledge. Intention to share knowledge and intrinsic motivational factors (knowledge self-efficacy and enjoyment in helping others) are important predictors of knowledge sharing behaviour (knowledge donating and knowledge collecting).
4 citations
Cites background from "Knowledge sharing among public sect..."
...Besides that, little is known about the factors associated to knowledge sharing behaviour involving public service managers (Sandhu et al., 2011), especially in the Malaysian context (Fathi, Eze & Goh, 2011)....
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...Although the employees have the awareness on how crucial knowledge sharing is, however they felt that it was not clearly communicated to all (Sandhu et al., 2011)....
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...Keywords: Knowledge donating, Knowledge collecting, Knowledge sharing, Public service managers, Self Determination Theory, Theory of Planned Behaviour...
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References
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TL;DR: The extent to which method biases influence behavioral research results is examined, potential sources of method biases are identified, the cognitive processes through which method bias influence responses to measures are discussed, the many different procedural and statistical techniques that can be used to control method biases is evaluated, and recommendations for how to select appropriate procedural and Statistical remedies are provided.
Abstract: Interest in the problem of method biases has a long history in the behavioral sciences. Despite this, a comprehensive summary of the potential sources of method biases and how to control for them does not exist. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to examine the extent to which method biases influence behavioral research results, identify potential sources of method biases, discuss the cognitive processes through which method biases influence responses to measures, evaluate the many different procedural and statistical techniques that can be used to control method biases, and provide recommendations for how to select appropriate procedural and statistical remedies for different types of research settings.
52,531 citations
"Knowledge sharing among public sect..." refers methods in this paper
...To further reduce bias towards positive responses or answers which may result in common method error variance, we conducted factor analysis as suggested by Podsakoff et al. (2003)...
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the usefulness of analyzing firms from the resource side rather than from the product side, in analogy to entry barriers and growth-share matrices, the concepts of resource position barrier and resource-product matrices are suggested.
Abstract: Summary The paper explores the usefulness of analysing firms from the resource side rather than from the product side. In analogy to entry barriers and growth-share matrices, the concepts of resource position barrier and resource-product matrices are suggested. These tools are then used to highlight the new strategic options which naturally emerge from the resource perspective.
18,677 citations
"Knowledge sharing among public sect..." refers background in this paper
...According to the resource based view, firms can maintain and achieve sustainable competitive advantage and earn superior profits if it owns and controls its tangible and intangible assets ( Wernerfelt, 1984...
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors propose a paradigm for managing the dynamic aspects of organizational knowledge creating processes, arguing that organizational knowledge is created through a continuous dialogue between tacit and explicit knowledge.
Abstract: This paper proposes a paradigm for managing the dynamic aspects of organizational knowledge creating processes. Its central theme is that organizational knowledge is created through a continuous dialogue between tacit and explicit knowledge. The nature of this dialogue is examined and four patterns of interaction involving tacit and explicit knowledge are identified. It is argued that while new knowledge is developed by individuals, organizations play a critical role in articulating and amplifying that knowledge. A theoretical framework is developed which provides an analytical perspective on the constituent dimensions of knowledge creation. This framework is then applied in two operational models for facilitating the dynamic creation of appropriate organizational knowledge.
17,196 citations
"Knowledge sharing among public sect..." refers background in this paper
...One of the most important theories in the field of KM was however developed by Nonaka (1994)...
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Book•
01 Jan 2008
TL;DR: The Japanese companies, masters of manufacturing, have also been leaders in the creation, management, and use of knowledge-especially the tacit and often subjective insights, intuitions, and ideas of employees as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Japanese companies, masters of manufacturing, have also been leaders in the creation, management, and use of knowledge-especially the tacit and often subjective insights, intuitions, and ideas of employees.
16,886 citations
TL;DR: Senge's Fifth Discipline is a set of principles for building a "learning organization" as discussed by the authors, where people expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nutured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are contually learning together.
Abstract: Peter Senge, founder and director of the Society for Organisational Learning and senior lecturer at MIT, has found the means of creating a 'learning organisation'. In The Fifth Discipline, he draws the blueprints for an organisation where people expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nutured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are contually learning together. The Fifth Discipline fuses these features together into a coherent body of theory and practice, making the whole of an organisation more effective than the sum of its parts. Mastering the disciplines will: *Reignite the spark of learning, driven by people focused on what truly matters to them. *Bridge teamwork into macro-creativity. *Free you from confining assumptions and mind-sets. *Teach you to see the forest and the trees. *End the struggle between work and family time. The Fifth Discipline is a remarkable book that draws on science, spiritual values, psychology, the cutting edge of management thought and Senge's work with leading companies which employ Fifth Discipline methods. Reading it provides a searching personal experience and a dramatic professional shift of mind. This edition contains more than 100 pages of new material about how companies are actually using and benefiting from Fifth Discipline practices, as well as a new foreword from Peter Senge about his work with the Fifth Discipline over the last 15 years.
16,386 citations