This study contributes to the research in knowledge management in organization by highlighting that organizational characteristics significantly impact on knowledge sharing.
The ultimate purpose of this research was to explore the real practice of knowledge sharing activities in academic community and further to identify the difficulties of organizational factors that effect on knowledge sharing.
Author utilized the qualitative case study method. Semi-structure interviews with fourteen participants were conducted to collect data. Based on the results of this study, conclusions, implications and recommendations are provided as follow.
CONCLUSIONS
This research focused on the role and the relationship between organizational characteristics and the knowledge sharing activities of academic researchers within RIA3.
According to the empirical evidences gained from Chapter IV, this study has shown what channels of knowledge flows are interested to share knowledge and which factor is the most effective in these activities.
1. Knowledge sharing and RIA3’s academic researchers
All participants prefer face-to-face communication at the workplace. From the results of analysis process, it can be seen that both of formal as well as informal flows also have channels that are similar to each other, these are face to face discussion and group
working. Participants are more interested in directly communicate than other channels.
Furthermore, consistent with one of face to face factors, symposiums or conferences channel of formal flows are the favorite implements of most of interviewees. If we compare with social network channel (in term of social network, author emphasized on the online externalization communities) it is undoubtedly that the interest rate of face to face factors is paid more attention than online platforms. (See figure 5.1)
Second, along with the growth of information technology, online communities are more and more increase in over the world. An online community is a group of the same field or the same area where are constructed broadly for everyone who share, exchange, and create knowledge in the internet (Wann-Yih, 2010). However, it is very astonished that the number of using these networks in RIA3 community is just a small group. This is due to most of them think that these are just a common network, not an academic network.
Therefore, the utilization of social network has a low rate. Further, it is clear that young researchers are more interested in these networks than older researches. This mean the young group adapts quickly and significantly with information communication technology other than older group.
Face to face factors
Figure 5.1 The favorite channels in knowledge sharing of RIA3’s scientific community
2. Organizational characteristics
Sharing knowledge of academic researchers as well as experience with each other within RIA3 is not whole story. This study also investigated the organizational characteristics affect on knowledge sharing activities. Contribute most significantly to the sharing of knowledge is perception of employees (Helms&Stern, 2001).According to the results of interviews, although most of participants have awareness of important in knowledge management, there was a little support from organization.
In Hsiu Fen point of view (2004), knowledge sharing is considered as essential for managers, because they are key decision makers promoting an environment of knowledge sharing. However, the most difficult problem in sharing knowledge in RIA3 is lack of leader’s attention. When managers have been interested in facilitating knowledge environment, all of other organizational factors influencing knowledge sharing will be Knowledge
sharing and RIA3’s academic researchers
Face to face discussion
Group working Conference, Symposium
Young people Social network
got positive impacts from leadership, such as working environment and ICT. Therefore, it can be seen that, leadership play prerequisite role to decide the success of the others.
Figure 5.2 The impact of leadership factor on the others – working environment and ICT
3. Knowledge sharing behavior - Take a look at academic researchers in Agriculture’s communities of Taiwan
With the increasingly large amount of information available to society, the methods of communication have also advanced. Various people have different ideas about the best form of communication.
Similarity
According to studies of Chia-shieng (2006) and Tsai (2008),
IMPLICATIONS
This study proposes the following implications for practitioner conducting knowledge sharing activities or desiring to facilitate knowledge sharing within their organization.
Leadership – Style and perception
Working environment
ICT – update and upgrade
information
- Increase perceptions of fisheries researchers in knowledge management generally and knowledge sharing particularly, simultaneous bring organization manager’s attention to the role of knowledge management in organization.
- Leader’s facilitation of knowledge-sharing intentions should address their positive activities. Their perceptions are a prerequisite condition to establishing an organizational knowledge-sharing behavior.
- Enhance the quality of information system via information technology, such as information portal.
- The study provides guidance to managers about the suitable portfolio of knowledge sharing mechanism that should be adopted based on key organizational characteristics.
- Contribute employees’ individual knowledge resources to the organization’s pool of knowledge, and have easy access to relevant knowledge resources.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The results of this study have many implications for staff and managers in RIA3.
The relationship between knowledge sharing and working environment, leadership and technology indicates the importance of such factors as prerequisites for the success of knowledge sharing. Recommendations are based on the findings and consist of two section, recommendations to the RIA3 and recommendation to the future related researches.
1. Recommendation to RIA3
According to the findings of this study and suggestions from interviewees, this section discusses recommendations on three issues. These are listed as follow.
1.1 Working environment
In order to promote relationship between divisions and make employee more friendly, interviewee suggested that informal meeting should be organized frequently in organization. This also reduces the pressure of work as well as to promote the communication between individuals. Furthermore, another one that is considered as an obligatory activity in academic community is seminar. Holding seminars is a necessary condition to developing organizational learning and make academic environment more and more professional. This factor will support learning and supplement knowledge for employees. However, this depends on leader of each division. They should care about employees’ difficults and hold informal meetings to create the friendliness within department. These meetings can be targeted at some certain interest group or can involve people who represent diverse interests.
1.2 Leadership
Setting strategies for knowledge sharing – The role of leaders
Managers’ perception about the important of information in scientific research is a crucial implement. In order to integrate individual knowledge into organizational assets and all employees easily utilize, it is necessary to build a suitable strategy for organization. This assists creation, storing, exchange and developing of knowledge culture in organization.
Therefore, to fulfill this mission, the role of leader is extremely important. They not only encourage knowledge sharing practices but also directly participate in this process. Such
as, create regulations for knowledge sharing, plan for employees contribute on organization’s pool of knowledge through knowledge-sharing platform, internal conferences. These activities both enrich individual knowledge and to be a dynamic for organizational learning.
1.3 Information communication technology
One of the difficulties that most of interviewees cope with is the lack of information.
In order to solve this problem, some issues are mentioned by interviewees. Synthesis is listed below.
Setting a database within RIA3
According author’s understanding, RIA3 have already a database within organization.
Although information is very poor, it can be seen as a foundation for facilitating to scientific community exchange knowledge. However, maybe this is because of some reasons it is not diffuse broadly in organization. Furthermore, this database have not been updated and not been paid attention by managers. Therefore, a recommendation for bring leader’s attention about setting up a database.
Systematism the documents
Excepting database of books and documents, it is important to note that systematism documents have significant effects on capturing knowledge, particular in systematizing finished projects and scientific journals of RIA3’s academic researcher, for example, coding the results of research processes. Through given data and facts, other researchers
can refer to and enhance their own experience. Simultaneous, this assists to future researches for RIA3.
Sign in open access resources
The management of information and knowledge has long been regarded as the domain of library. Therefore library and information division have to take over finding fisheries information resource in order to provide to employees. Furthermore, encourage and instruct employees access open resource where facilitate for scientist all over the world be able to free update information.
Expand and invest in information technology (IT)
This is mainly due to information technology system of RIA3 has not yet invested sufficiently and completely. All above-mentioned solutions depends on IT, hence, maximum connectivity, compatibility should be considered as necessary elements for supporting many activities in reaching information and knowledge of RIA3’s community.
2. Recommendation to future related researches
First, this study is based on a case study in one academic community, which limits the possibility of making general conclusions. Therefore, future research could gather information across different communities to generate a broader picture.
Second, based on the research results, future research could focus on more specific topics.
Such as study on relationship of organizational cultural factors and knowledge sharing; or analyzing design, evaluation knowledge sharing activities in other organizations.
Third, this study examined the influence of some organizational characteristics on knowledge sharing, did not consider all determinants that affect knowledge sharing activities. Hence, future studies can examine other characteristics of organization
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APPENDIX A. INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
I. The general information
1. What department do you work for? How long have you worked at RIA3? How old are you?
2. What is your field of activity?
3. Background
II. The current state of knowledge sharing and academic communication
1. Which ways do you usually to study the experience from other people or share know-how from work experience with each other? For example, observe, imitate, communicate, discuss.
2. In your community, those who succeed in their study (graduated) also willing to share the knowledge or information? How about you? If you meet difficulties, who will you ask for assistance?
3. Do you continue doing something with knowledge sharing even with people I don’t particularly like? Is it too hard to share knowledge with those who are more senior/experienced than you?
4. If you get new knowledge, in which cases will you diffuse with colleagues? (e,g share knowledge if people ask, share knowledge with a person whom you can trust, share your knowledge if you think your knowledge is important, or like to work with others to develop my skills and knowledge) Tell a few stories, examples, or experiences
5. Do you attend seminar, conference, or sharing knowledge activities? How many times do you attend conference each year? What do you think of these activities?
6. What do you get from working in a discussion group? Does this affair help you to gain more knowledge rather than working independently?
7. What do you know knowledge repository (i.e. facebook, blogspot, wordpress etc), that we use to share the knowledge? Do you usually use these tools for sharing knowledge?
III. The organizational factors influence knowledge sharing A. Working environment
1. How often the meetings or seminars are operated to discuss and share experience in your department? What are the difficulties in your getting experience from such the meeting and seminar?
2. Which factors of working environment that influence knowledge sharing? Do members in your community fell free to share ideas? They know each other very well and this helps you to share knowledge with each other?
3. Give an example of your working environment, such as research, study, and discussion in internal and external organization.
4. What are the difficulties that you usually meet in your research process? Do you find solution to solve these difficulties
5. Which is the biggest barrier in knowledge sharing in RIA3? For example, lack of participation, not willing to share knowledge, lack of trust, knowledge sharing not a part of daily work, lack of training, lack of rewards, recognition for knowledge sharing
B. Leadership
1. What does your community encourage knowledge sharing? (e,g recognitionss/rewards those that share knowledge with other).
2. What is the attitude of senior management knowledge sharing in RIA3? (e,g encourages - by action and not only by words – sharing of knowledge). What is the role of managers of each department and senior managers as well?
3. How often community organizes social meetings (e.g. farewell party, end year dinner, festive occasion) to develop a spirit of goodwill? Is open communication one characteristic of this community as a whole?
4. Would you like to indicate knowledge sharing facilities provided by your community?
5. In your views, how can the institution help to enhance the knowledge base of RIA3?
C. Information communication technology
1. What should RIA3 have activities in order to reserve experience and intellectual capital of researchers? What aspects do you usually use to reserve and record your information?
2. Do you usually use intranet tools to collect and share knowledge? Email or mailing lists (e.g. yahoo groups) are good platforms for us to freely disseminate information, (e.g. relating to learning experience, seminars, workshops etc.)
3. What are the problems faced by RIA3 in using IT for Knowledge Management? What do you think of storing knowledge in RIA3?
4. Which technologies have RIA3 implemented? (e,g Internet, Data warehousing, Intranet, Knowledge management software, Extranet, Groupware, Data management system)
5. Communicate and share ideas with members via ICT facilities (e.g. email, YM
6. If your community provides an online discussion platform (e.g. web forum, knowledge blogs, community portal) that we often use to exchange study-related ideas, what will you think of using these platforms?
APPENDIX B. EXAMPLE OF TRANSCRIPTS
I. The general information
1. How old are you? How long have you worked at RIA3? What department do you work for?
I am 37 years old. I have work at RIA3 for nine years. I work at department of Biology and applied aquaculture
2. What is your field of activity?
I study on fish nutrition
II. The current state of knowledge sharing and academic communication
2. Which ways do you usually to study the experience from other people or share know-how from work experience with each other?
Through email or face-to-face discussion. For the experienced persons or the interested fields, observation or copy is used in this case. And taking note and checking information later on
3. In your community, those who succeed in their study (graduated) also willing to share the knowledge or information? How about you? If you meet difficulties, who will you ask for assistance?
They were willing to discuss and I also wanted to share my experiences or information to other people. But, there were no regulations in our institute on that. If I meet difficulties, I certainly will ask advices /assistance from my colleagues who are
They were willing to discuss and I also wanted to share my experiences or information to other people. But, there were no regulations in our institute on that. If I meet difficulties, I certainly will ask advices /assistance from my colleagues who are