Knowledge Management in Higher Education: Effectiveness, Success factors, and Organisational Performance

In today business environment, Higher education institutions are facing a common challenge in the wake of rapid changes due to substantial drops in public funding for public colleges and universities, a larger number of calls for transparency, rapid expansion of the global business. To survive, organizations of higher education must improve their performance continually. Researchers reported that knowledge and effectively managing knowledge can help HEIs improve their performance by solving many of these problems and acquire and sustain competitive advantage. It is beneficial to explore the factors that impact the effective implementation of knowledge management within higher education institutions. These factors are organizational culture, and leadership styles. Additionally, it is essential to investigate the leadership style that best supports effective implementation of knowledge management. This study sought to examine the relationship between organizational culture (mission, adaptability, involvement, consistency), leadership styles (transformational and transactional), knowledge management effectiveness, and organizational performance. The study also analyzed the mediating role of organizational culture on the relationship between leadership styles and knowledge management effectiveness. Based on existing literature, eight hypotheses and a conceptual model were developed regarding the relationships of the five constructs: organizational culture, transformational and transformational leadership, knowledge management effectiveness and organizational performance. All constructs are measured by multi-items scales. For this study, organizational performance and knowledge management effectiveness were taken as dependents variables. Leadership styles of transformational and transactional and organizational culture were taken as independent variables. Organizational culture (mission, consistency, adaptability, and involvement) served as mediator variable. A questionnaire was used to collect data; this questionnaire was administered to 251 faculty and administrative leaders employed at 20 universities and colleges across the United States of America. Only 136 were entirely completed and deemed useful for the study. Structural equation modeling and Confirmatory Factor Analysis within SEM were adopted for data analysis. Results were presented using frequency distribution tables and graphs. Key findings suggested that organizational culture and transformational leadership impacted knowledge management effectiveness. But transactional leadership did not. Consequently, knowledge management effectiveness impacted organizational performance. While organizational culture mediated the effects of transformational leadership on knowledge management effectiveness, no mediating effect of organizational culture was found on the effect of transactional leadership on knowledge management effectiveness. Organizational culture has the largest positive impact on knowledge management effectiveness. These results may inform the successful implementation of KM practices, which in term improve the performance of higher educational institutions across the United States of America

An investigation on the effect of organizational culture on knowledge management implementation

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of organizational culture on knowledge management implementation. The proposed study designed a questionnaire and distributed it among individuals 370 managers and employees of GOLDIRAN, an official agent of Korean firm named LG in Iran. The results of this study show that there were positive and meaningful relationships among 4 variables including adaptability, involvement, mission, stability in this firm. Based on the organizational cultures to component development, Stability) maintains the highest average (3.5984), and involvement maintains the lowest average (3.3871)

Effect of organizational factors on knowledge management in education: A case study in Mazandaran Province, Departments of Education

Culture influences all the organizations activities. On the other hand, due to the role and importance of knowledge management in obtaining competitive advantages, understanding the amount of support of organizational culture, especially dominant dimension of culture, is among strategies of knowledge management which are so much important and critical. For this purpose the current study has been conducted on managers and staff of West Mazandaran province Departments of Education. Based on Cochrane relationship, 385 managers and staff of the mentioned departments have been selected randomly. The type of research is applied and is descriptive and survey from the point of view of data collection manner. The measuring tool is standard questionnaire of organizational culture factors and standard questionnaire of knowledge management which validity have been confirmed through content analysis by experts and their reliability have been confirmed with the use of Cronbach's alpha. The results of structural models fit between the dimensions of knowledge management and organizational culture indicate that there is a significant relationship between organizational culture dimensions and knowledge management in West Mazandaran province Departments of Education and hence the effectiveness of organizational culture on knowledge management is accepted. Also three dimensions of innovation, job challenge and communications among all the organizational culture dimensions have the most effect on knowledge management process, which indicates the importance of these elements. Finally, with determining the effective factors on knowledge management the necessary recommendations in line with knowledge management process implementation have been provided

Effect of organizational factors on knowledge management in education: A case study in Mazandaran Province, Departments of Education

Culture influences all the organizations activities. On the other hand, due to the role and importance of knowledge management in obtaining competitive advantages, understanding the amount of support of organizational culture, especially dominant dimension of culture, is among strategies of knowledge management which are so much important and critical. For this purpose the current study has been conducted on managers and staff of West Mazandaran province Departments of Education. Based on Cochrane relationship, 385 managers and staff of the mentioned departments have been selected randomly. The type of research is applied and is descriptive and survey from the point of view of data collection manner. The measuring tool is standard questionnaire of organizational culture factors and standard questionnaire of knowledge management which validity have been confirmed through content analysis by experts and their reliability have been confirmed with the use of Cronbach's alpha. The results of structural models fit between the dimensions of knowledge management and organizational culture indicate that there is a significant relationship between organizational culture dimensions and knowledge management in West Mazandaran province Departments of Education and hence the effectiveness of organizational culture on knowledge management is accepted. Also three dimensions of innovation, job challenge and communications among all the organizational culture dimensions have the most effect on knowledge management process, which indicates the importance of these elements. Finally, with determining the effective factors on knowledge management the necessary recommendations in line with knowledge management process implementation have been provided

The Effect of Knowledge Enablers on Knowledge Management Process: A Case Study of Kolej Matrikulasi Perak, Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia

This study is undertaken to determine the effect of organizational elements on knowledge management process. Generally, the objective of this study is to determine the effects of knowledge management (KM) enablers namely strategic leadership, culture, information technology, HR activities on KM process. Based on previous studies, it is important to effectively and efficiently manage these organizational elements (KM enablers) in order to have a successful KM process. This study was conducted in Kolej Matrikulasi Perak, Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia; an educational institution offering a pre-university program. This research is a cross-sectional research which uses a case study approach. The respondents of this study were the academic staffs of Department of Sciences, Mathematics and Arts. Questionnaires consisting five point Likert scale was used to measure how strongly respondents agree or disagree with the statements .In the case of Kolej Matrikulasi Perak, the most important factor affecting implementation of KM process is its human resource activities, followed by organizational culture and information technology. Based on the findings, the researcher suggests that the top management of this college to form a strong human resource policies in order to obtain full utilization of knowledge in the organization

Investigating the Factors Affecting the Implementation of Knowledge Management in Aghajari Oil and Gas Exploitation Company

Knowledge management is one way to improve the survival of organization. Therefore, the identification and study of factors affecting the deployment of knowledge management can help organizations to implement and enforce it better. When factors affecting the deployment of knowledge management to be identified and analyzed previously and an appropriate platform to be provided for its deployment, knowledge management is successfully implemented in organizations. Because the management of the existing knowledge of organization is a humanistic matter and is completely related to human resources, organizations to deploy successful knowledge management should provide appropriate organizational culture, strategic thinking, right staff training and suitable technology and act accordingly. Aghajari Oil and Gas Exploitation Company with respect to the determined objectives and policies of the ministry and more emphasis on the issue of knowledge-based operation process of oil and gas resources and according to its task at oil exploitation, production and sending and protection of the facilities and oil tanks as well as rapid advances in technology and increasing employees' level of education, considers knowledge management. This research is conducted in line with the goals and policies set by the Ministry of Petroleum. For this purpose, one main hypothesis, four sub-hypotheses and two side-hypotheses are developed. The results of hypotheses testing implied the endorsement of main hypothesis namely, it was found that organizational factors influence the management deployment in Aghajari Oil and Gas Exploitation Company. Four research hypotheses were confirmed as well thus, it became clear that organizational factors (including organizational culture, strategic thinking, employees’ training and technology) affect the management deployment in Aghajari Oil and Gas Exploitation Company. Also according to the results, the first side-hypothesis that "The different education level of employees has different effects on the implementation of knowledge management in Aghajari Oil and Gas Exploitation Company" was confirmed. But the second side-hypothesis that "different professions (technical and non-technical) have different effect on the deployment of knowledge management in Aghajari Oil and Gas Exploitation Company" was rejected

Organizational performance and excellence of Dubai Police role of total quality management and enterprise resource planning

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating effect of organizational excellence (OE) on the relationship between total quality management (TQM), enterprise resource planning (ERP), entrepreneurial orientation (EO), and organizational performance (OP). At the same time, it also investigated the mediating effect of entrepreneurial organizational culture (EOC) on the relationship between EO and OP. The motivation for this study was driven by the inconsistent findings in the literature concerning the relationships between TQM, ERP, EO, and organizational performance. Due to the inconsistent results, a new research has emerged and this has prompted further investigation on the effect of other variables that may better explain the nature of these links. In the related literature, many theories have suggested that the compatibility between strategies, resources, and capabilities as the keys for success. To achieve this purpose, this study has integrated different theories such as the resource-based view, knowledge-based view, and the innovation theories in order to provide the effect of OE and EOC on successful strategy implementation. Questionnaires were distributed to 565 Sections of the Dubai Police. 355 questionnaires were returned and used in the analysis using the PLS-SEM. The results of this study revealed that TQM, ERP, and EO were positive and have also been proven to be significant predictors of organizational performance. More importantly, the results have also confirmed the mediating effect of organizational excellence on the relationships between TQM, EO, and organizational performance. This study also supported the premises of the resource-based view theory, the knowledge-based view theory, and the innovation theory by reaffirming the importance of the supportive OE and EOC for any successful strategy implementation in enhancing organizational performance through the implementation of innovative practices

Tools of information and communication technologies in the knowledge management system

This article considers the knowledge management system as an element of the overall management system of the organization along with the processes of corporate culture and corporate education. The implementation of knowledge management system provides an increase in competitiveness, has a favorable effect on the intellectual potential of the organization, human resource management and innovations’ development. The means of information and communication technologies in the knowledge management system, in corporate training and in corporate culture are considered, and the connection between them is outlined. The use of Intranet and Extranet systems in the context of the collection, storage and use of organizational knowledge is analyzed. Corporate training issues from the point of view of increasing the operational efficiency of organizations are touched upon. Trends in the development of corporate culture are outlined, where a special role is played by the formation of a favorable environment for the knowledge transfer. The functioning of corporate education and corporate culture, in the aggregate, can increase the implementation effectiveness of knowledge management system

Knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behaviour intentions for three bowel management practices in intensive care: effects of a targeted protocol implementation for nursing and medical staff.

Background Bowel management protocols have the potential to minimize complications for critically ill patients. Targeted implementation can increase the uptake of protocols by clinicians into practice. The theory of planned behaviour offers a framework in which to investigate clinicians’ intention to perform the behaviour of interest. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of implementing a bowel management protocol on intensive care nursing and medical staffs’ knowledge, attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, behaviour intentions, role perceptions and past behaviours in relation to three bowel management practices. Methods A descriptive before and after survey using a self-administered questionnaire sent to nursing and medical staff working within three intensive care units before and after implementation of our bowel management protocol (pre: May – June 2008; post: Feb – May 2009). Results Participants had significantly higher knowledge scores post-implementation of our protocol (pre mean score 17.6; post mean score 19.3; p = 0.004). Post-implementation there was a significant increase in: self-reported past behaviour (pre mean score 5.38; post mean score 7.11; p = 0.002) and subjective norms scores (pre mean score 3.62; post mean score 4.18; p = 0.016) for bowel assessment; and behaviour intention (pre mean score 5.22; post mean score 5.65; p = 0.048) for administration of enema. Conclusion This evaluation, informed by the theory of planned behaviour, has provided useful insights into factors that influence clinician intentions to perform evidence-based bowel management practices in intensive care. Addressing factors such as knowledge, attitudes and beliefs can assist in targeting implementation strategies to positively affect clinician behaviour change. Despite an increase in clinicians’ knowledge scores, our implementation strategy did not, however, significantly change clinician behaviour intentions for all three bowel management practices. Further research is required to explore the influence of opinion leaders and organizational culture on clinicians’ behaviour intentions related to bowel management for intensive care patients

Programas de gestão de ideias e inovação: as práticas das grandes empresas na região sul do Brasil

ABSTRACTResearch on the situation of idea management initiatives in large companies in Southern Brazil, undertaken as an exploratory descriptive survey using a quantitative approach. The survey population comprised 85 companies, resulting on 41 valid responses. The data allowed the identification of company profile characteristics, idea management practices, their benefits and obstacles, and the determining factors for adopting the initiatives. The results show that 70 percent of the companies surveyed have structured programs to seek, stimulate, evaluate, implement and reward ideas from employees. The perceived benefits were: a greater ability to generate ideas and turn them into projects, increased participation, teamwork and motivation among employees. The main obstacles to the implementation of idea management programs are low levels of employee involvement, communication problems, and insufficient rewards for participation. Regarding the effectiveness of the initiatives, structural equation modeling with partial least squares estimation (PLS) supports the conclusion that, even though idea management practices have a positive effect on innovation results, the initiatives must be supported by aspects of organizational culture, behavior and processes that contribute to promote learning, knowledge absorption and sharing, and the consequent development of innovative activities. Lastly, there is perceived need for more detailed studies about the role of culture, behavior, managerial practices and processes associated with knowledge management and innovation, and their impacts on innovative capacity