Knowledge Sharing Factors Among Academic Staffs at Higher Education Institutions (Heis): a Case Study of Federal Tvet Institute, Ethiopia
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Date
2020-09-09
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Educational institutions should recognize knowledge as a strategic resource of their core business activities. Knowledge sharing will contribute to the creation and exchange of intellectual capital that is the core business of HEIs. It is a regular practice of the HEIs, as the number of academic lectures, conferences, and publications is more than any other profession. Although knowledge sharing has significant importance for organizational success, it remains a challenging activity for many organizations. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the existing knowledge sharing practice among academic staff in Federal TVET Institute and explore factors that affect knowledge sharing practices among academic staff. The research used a quantitative research methodology. A questionnaire survey was used to collect data from 132 academic staffs. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation as well as regression analysis and correlation coefficient.
The result of this study revealed that academic staff in federal TVET often engaged in knowledge sharing practice through sharing teaching materials, participating in seminars and workshops, discussing projects with peers within and/or outside faculty, sharing research findings, and attending university/faculty meetings. However, the academic staff did not utilize publishing books, journals, or other academic materials, participating in symposiums and public lectures, attending training programs, and participating in Web/Video Conferences to share knowledge. This research concludes that the level of KS practices in the study organization is low. This is mainly attributed to the low awareness of the Institute’s management about the value of knowledge as a strategic resource of the organization. The study also identified the most important factors affecting knowledge sharing practices among academic staff. ICT infrastructure, perceived cost, attitude, self efficacy, and organizational rewards were the most influential factors for knowledge sharing practices. All factors jointly explain up to 29% of the total variance in knowledge sharing practice. However, additional factors should be explored to better improve the knowledge sharing practice in the study organization.
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Keywords
Knowledge, Knowledge Sharing Practice, Quality Education, Higher Education Institutions (Heis)