An Assessment of Knowledge Sharing and Management Practices in HEI; the Case of Dire Dawa University (DDU), Dire Dawa-Ethiopia

Takele Bekele Bayu

doi:doi:10.11648/j.jhrm.20180604.11

| Peer-Reviewed

An Assessment of Knowledge Sharing and Management Practices in HEI; the Case of Dire Dawa University (DDU), Dire Dawa-Ethiopia

Takele Bekele Bayu

Published in Journal of Human Resource Management (Volume 6, Issue 4)

Received: 16 December 2018 Accepted: 15 January 2019 Published: 31 January 2019

Views: Downloads:

Download PDF

Share This Article

Twitter
Linked In
Facebook

Abstract

The ability to manage knowledge has become increasingly more crucial in today’s world since knowledge is a vibrant force in the rapidly changing global economy and society. This has led to the emergence of a knowledge-based economy which calls for a rising emphasis on knowledge management processes and practices. In the advancement of knowledge sharing and knowledge management, universities are no exception. This is justified not only because of universities are widely regarded as teaching establishments and the main instruments of society for the constant pursuit of knowledge but also they are viewed as organizations that create new knowledge and support social communities improving teaching-learning in higher education. In Ethiopia since 1991, much focus has been given to the expansion of higher education helping the number of public universities to grow from 2 to more than 30 in a period of two decades. With such government's expansion plan, Dire Dawa University (DDU) is established in 2006 as second generation university with the view not only to realize the triple functions of higher education institutions (teaching-learning, community service and research activities), but to handle special task of reaching out different industries through research and development since it is located in the Easter Economic Corridor of the country. As well known the performance and effectiveness of any institution in general and academic higher institutions, in particular, depends on the quality of its human personnel and the way any given institution utilizes it. In this regard, knowledge management in higher educational institutions like DDU must aim at integrating the knowledge produced at all levels and using it towards the institute's goals and targets. This particular study has critically examined knowledge sharing and management practices and experiences in Dire Dawa University while analyzing the degree and level of coordination and cooperation between and among the admin and academic staffs where observation and secondary data utilized to analyze the issue. The result of the study indicates that there is deep division, hierarchical structure and rigid communication system in DDU’s human resources and Institutional setup. The dichotomy amongst the two wings and the subsequent hostile relationship between the academic and admin staffs obviously limited knowledge sharing and flow. Hence, it is recommended that building a strong organizational culture must be the top priority of the university leadership by avoiding such dichotomy amongst the workforce in the institution.

Published in	Journal of Human Resource Management (Volume 6, Issue 4)
DOI	10.11648/j.jhrm.20180604.11
Page(s)	111-118
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Dichotomy, Hierarchy, Cooperation, Organization Culture

References

[1]	Jessica. S. H., Cheng, M. Y. and Lau, P. M. (2008). Knowledge Sharing in Knowledge-based Institutions. The International Business Information Management Association (IBIMA), 6 (2008), 41-48.
[2]	Ranjan, J., Khalil, S., 2007, “Application of Knowledge Management in Management Education: A Conceptual Framework”, Journal of Theoretical and Applied Information Technology, pp. 15-25.
[3]	Alavi, M., & Leidner, D. E. (2001) Review: Knowledge management and knowledge management systems: Conceptual foundations and research issues. MIS Quarterly, 25 (1), 107-136.
[4]	Ipe, M. (2003). Knowledge sharing in the organization: A conceptual framework. Human Resource Development Review, 2, 337.
[5]	Setiarso, B. (2006). Knowledge sharing with a new dimension. Knowledge Management International Conference & Exhibition (KMICE ‘06), Volume 1. Kedah.
[6]	Chennamaneni, A. (2006). Determinants of knowledge sharing behavior: Developing and testing an integrated theoretical model. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Texas, Arlington.
[7]	Hashim, F., & Othman, A. (2002). The impact of organizational culture on knowledge transfer processes. Available at www.ickm.upm.edu.my.
[8]	Edwina S. Uehara 1995Reciprocity Reconsidered: Gouldner's `Moral Norm of Reciprocity' and Social Support Edwina S. Uehara 1995; Journal of Social and Personal relationships.
[9]	Hawamdeh S. (2003). Knowledge Management. Cultivating Knowledge Professionals, Chandos Publishing, Oxford, 2003.
[10]	Lee, C. K., & Al-Hawamdeh, S. (2002). Factors impacting knowledge sharing. Journal of Information & Knowledge Management, 1 (1), 49−56.
[11]	Nonaka I., Takeuchi H. (2000). Kreowanie wiedzy w organizacji. Jak spółki japońskie dynamizują procesy innowacyjne, Poltext, Warszawa, 2000.
[12]	Yi, J. (2009). A measure of knowledge sharing behavior: Scale development and validation. Knowledge Management Research and Practice, 7, 65-81.
[13]	Chaudhry; 2005 Knowledge sharing practices in Asian institutions: a multi-cultural perspective from Singapore Abdus Sattar Chaudhry World Library and Information Congress: 71th IFLA General Conference and Council "Libraries - A voyage of discovery" August 14th - 18th 2005, Oslo, Norway Conference Programme: http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla71/Programme.htm.
[14]	Lee, H., & Choi, B. 2003/4. Knowledge management enablers, processes, and organizational performance: An integrative view and empirical examination. Journal of Management Information Systems, 20 (1): 179–228.
[15]	Kristina, M. (2006), ‘Essays on interpersonal level knowledge sharing within the Multinational Corporation', Unpublished, Ph.D. Dissertation, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark. Available online at http://helecon3.hkkk.fi/diss/?cmd=show&dissid=308&lang= eng.
[16]	Nesan, L. J. (2005), ‘Factors influencing tacit knowledge construction’, Australian journal of Construction Economics and Building, Vol 5, Issue 1.
[17]	Sharratt, M., & Usoro, A. (2003). Understanding Knowledge-Sharing in Online Communities of Practice. Electronic Journal on Knowledge Management, 1, 187-196.
[18]	Pauline, D. and Mason, D. (2002). New Zealand Knowledge Management Survey: Barriers and Drivers.
[19]	Mikulecka, J., & Mikulecky, P. (2000, September). University knowledge management-issues and prospects. In Djamel A. Zighed, Jan Komoroswki, Jan Zykow, Principles of Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery 4th European Conference Proceedings, PKDD (pp. 157-165).
[20]	Pircher, R. and Pausits, A. (2011). Information and Knowledge Management at Higher.
[21]	Salmi, J. (2009). The Challenge of Establishing World-Class Universities. Washington, DC: The World Bank.
[22]	Stankosky, D. Sc. (2005). Advances in Knowledge Management: University Research Toward an Academic discipline, in Stankosky, M. (Ed.) Creating the Discipline of Knowledge Management. Washington, Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann.
[23]	Damtew, T. (2001). The knowledge context in African universities: the neglected link. International Higher Education, 25, 23-35.
[24]	Abdel-Aziz, A. & Bontis, N. (2010). Intellectual capital and business performance in the pharmaceutical sector of Jordan. Management Decision, 1 (48), 105-131.
[25]	Cohen, W. A. (2013). The practical Drucker. Applying the wisdom of the world's greatest management thinker. Amacom Publishing House.
[26]	Kowalczyk A. & Nogalski, B. (2007). Zarządzanie wiedzą. Koncepcja I narzędzia. [Knowledge management. The conception and tools]. Warszawa: Difin.
[27]	Paliszkiewicz, J. & Koohang, A. (2013). Organizational trust as a foundation for knowledge sharing and its influence on organizational performance. Online Journal of Applied Knowledge Management, 1 (2), 116-127.
[28]	Tsai, W., Tsai, M., Li, S., & Lin, C. (2012). Harmonizing firms’ knowledge and strategies with organizational capabilities. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 53 (1), 23-32.
[29]	Wiig, K. M., 1996, “On the Management of Knowledge”, available at http://www.km-forum.org/what_is.htm.
[30]	Oxford Dictionary and Wikipedia resources (http://english.oxforddictionaries.com http://www.wikipedia.org).
[31]	Nonaka, I., 1998, “Knowledge Creating Company”, Havard Business Review on Knowledge Management, Havard Business School Publishing, BostonVol. 2004, Issue 20.
[32]	Tiwana, A., 2000, The Knowledge Management Toolkit: Practical Techniques for Building a Knowledge Management System, Prentice Hall, New Jersey.
[33]	Zack, M. H., 1999, "Managing Codified Knowledge", Sloan Management Review, vol. 40, no. 4, pp.45-59.
[34]	Duffy, N., 1999, "Benchmarking Knowledge Strategy", Leveraging Knowledge for Business Performance1999: Knowledge in Action WITS Business School, Johannesburg.
[35]	Eppler, M., 2002, Glossary definition: Knowledge Management. Net Academy: www.knowledgemedia.org.
[36]	Nakkiran, N. S., Sewry, D. A., 2002, “A Theoretical Framework for Knowledge Management Implementation”, Proceedings of SAICSIT, pp. 235-245.
[37]	Frost, A. (2012). Summary: Knowledge management best practices, KMT, An Educational KM Site, http://www.knowledge-management-tools.net/KM-bestpractices.html.
[38]	A. Kok, "Intellectual Capital Management as Part of knowledge Management Initiatives as Institutions of Higher Learning", the electronic Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 5, Issue 2, pp. 181- 192, 2005.
[39]	R. Abdullah, M. Selamat et al, “A Framework for Knowledge Management Systems Implementation in Collaborative Environment for Higher Learning Institution., Journal of Knowledge Management Practice, 2005.
[40]	Petrides, L. A., 2004, “Knowledge Management, Information Systems and Organizations”, EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, Research Bulletin.
[41]	Ranjan, J., Khalil, S., 2007, “Application of Knowledge Management in Management Education: A Conceptual Framework”, Journal of Theoretical and Applied Information Technology, pp. 15-25.
[42]	Mamta Bhusry and Jayanti Ranjan; 2011 Implementing Knowledge Management in Higher Educational Institutions in India: A Conceptual Framework; International Journal of Computer Applications.
[43]	Riege, A. (2005), “Three-dozen knowledge-sharing barriers managers must consider”, Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 9 No. 3, pp. 18-35.
[44]	Ayman Bassam Nassuora; 2011. Knowledge Sharing in Institutions of Higher Learning. American Academic & Scholarly Research Journal; www.aasrc.org/aasrj.
[45]	Ladd, A., & Ward, M. (2002). An investigation of environmental factors influencing knowledge transfer. Journal of Knowledge Management Practice, 4.
[46]	Sohail, M. S., & Daud, S. (2009). Knowledge sharing in higher education institutions: Perspectives from Malaysia. Vine, 39 (2), 125-142.

Cite This Article

Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Takele Bekele Bayu. (2019). An Assessment of Knowledge Sharing and Management Practices in HEI; the Case of Dire Dawa University (DDU), Dire Dawa-Ethiopia. Journal of Human Resource Management, 6(4), 111-118. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jhrm.20180604.11

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Takele Bekele Bayu. An Assessment of Knowledge Sharing and Management Practices in HEI; the Case of Dire Dawa University (DDU), Dire Dawa-Ethiopia. J. Hum. Resour. Manag. 2019, 6(4), 111-118. doi: 10.11648/j.jhrm.20180604.11

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Takele Bekele Bayu. An Assessment of Knowledge Sharing and Management Practices in HEI; the Case of Dire Dawa University (DDU), Dire Dawa-Ethiopia. J Hum Resour Manag. 2019;6(4):111-118. doi: 10.11648/j.jhrm.20180604.11

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.jhrm.20180604.11,
  author = {Takele Bekele Bayu},
  title = {An Assessment of Knowledge Sharing and Management Practices in HEI; the Case of Dire Dawa University (DDU), Dire Dawa-Ethiopia},
  journal = {Journal of Human Resource Management},
  volume = {6},
  number = {4},
  pages = {111-118},
  doi = {10.11648/j.jhrm.20180604.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jhrm.20180604.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jhrm.20180604.11},
  abstract = {The ability to manage knowledge has become increasingly more crucial in today’s world since knowledge is a vibrant force in the rapidly changing global economy and society. This has led to the emergence of a knowledge-based economy which calls for a rising emphasis on knowledge management processes and practices. In the advancement of knowledge sharing and knowledge management, universities are no exception. This is justified not only because of universities are widely regarded as teaching establishments and the main instruments of society for the constant pursuit of knowledge but also they are viewed as organizations that create new knowledge and support social communities improving teaching-learning in higher education. In Ethiopia since 1991, much focus has been given to the expansion of higher education helping the number of public universities to grow from 2 to more than 30 in a period of two decades. With such government's expansion plan, Dire Dawa University (DDU) is established in 2006 as second generation university with the view not only to realize the triple functions of higher education institutions (teaching-learning, community service and research activities), but to handle special task of reaching out different industries through research and development since it is located in the Easter Economic Corridor of the country. As well known the performance and effectiveness of any institution in general and academic higher institutions, in particular, depends on the quality of its human personnel and the way any given institution utilizes it. In this regard, knowledge management in higher educational institutions like DDU must aim at integrating the knowledge produced at all levels and using it towards the institute's goals and targets. This particular study has critically examined knowledge sharing and management practices and experiences in Dire Dawa University while analyzing the degree and level of coordination and cooperation between and among the admin and academic staffs where observation and secondary data utilized to analyze the issue. The result of the study indicates that there is deep division, hierarchical structure and rigid communication system in DDU’s human resources and Institutional setup. The dichotomy amongst the two wings and the subsequent hostile relationship between the academic and admin staffs obviously limited knowledge sharing and flow. Hence, it is recommended that building a strong organizational culture must be the top priority of the university leadership by avoiding such dichotomy amongst the workforce in the institution.},
 year = {2019}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - An Assessment of Knowledge Sharing and Management Practices in HEI; the Case of Dire Dawa University (DDU), Dire Dawa-Ethiopia
AU  - Takele Bekele Bayu
Y1  - 2019/01/31
PY  - 2019
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jhrm.20180604.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.jhrm.20180604.11
T2  - Journal of Human Resource Management
JF  - Journal of Human Resource Management
JO  - Journal of Human Resource Management
SP  - 111
EP  - 118
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2331-0715
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jhrm.20180604.11
AB  - The ability to manage knowledge has become increasingly more crucial in today’s world since knowledge is a vibrant force in the rapidly changing global economy and society. This has led to the emergence of a knowledge-based economy which calls for a rising emphasis on knowledge management processes and practices. In the advancement of knowledge sharing and knowledge management, universities are no exception. This is justified not only because of universities are widely regarded as teaching establishments and the main instruments of society for the constant pursuit of knowledge but also they are viewed as organizations that create new knowledge and support social communities improving teaching-learning in higher education. In Ethiopia since 1991, much focus has been given to the expansion of higher education helping the number of public universities to grow from 2 to more than 30 in a period of two decades. With such government's expansion plan, Dire Dawa University (DDU) is established in 2006 as second generation university with the view not only to realize the triple functions of higher education institutions (teaching-learning, community service and research activities), but to handle special task of reaching out different industries through research and development since it is located in the Easter Economic Corridor of the country. As well known the performance and effectiveness of any institution in general and academic higher institutions, in particular, depends on the quality of its human personnel and the way any given institution utilizes it. In this regard, knowledge management in higher educational institutions like DDU must aim at integrating the knowledge produced at all levels and using it towards the institute's goals and targets. This particular study has critically examined knowledge sharing and management practices and experiences in Dire Dawa University while analyzing the degree and level of coordination and cooperation between and among the admin and academic staffs where observation and secondary data utilized to analyze the issue. The result of the study indicates that there is deep division, hierarchical structure and rigid communication system in DDU’s human resources and Institutional setup. The dichotomy amongst the two wings and the subsequent hostile relationship between the academic and admin staffs obviously limited knowledge sharing and flow. Hence, it is recommended that building a strong organizational culture must be the top priority of the university leadership by avoiding such dichotomy amongst the workforce in the institution.
VL  - 6
IS  - 4
ER  -

Copy | Download

Author Information

Takele Bekele Bayu

Department of Public Administration Science, National University of Public Administration Science, Budapest, Hungary

Download PDF

Sections

Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Takele Bekele Bayu. (2019). An Assessment of Knowledge Sharing and Management Practices in HEI; the Case of Dire Dawa University (DDU), Dire Dawa-Ethiopia. Journal of Human Resource Management, 6(4), 111-118. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jhrm.20180604.11

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Takele Bekele Bayu. An Assessment of Knowledge Sharing and Management Practices in HEI; the Case of Dire Dawa University (DDU), Dire Dawa-Ethiopia. J. Hum. Resour. Manag. 2019, 6(4), 111-118. doi: 10.11648/j.jhrm.20180604.11

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Takele Bekele Bayu. An Assessment of Knowledge Sharing and Management Practices in HEI; the Case of Dire Dawa University (DDU), Dire Dawa-Ethiopia. J Hum Resour Manag. 2019;6(4):111-118. doi: 10.11648/j.jhrm.20180604.11

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.jhrm.20180604.11,
  author = {Takele Bekele Bayu},
  title = {An Assessment of Knowledge Sharing and Management Practices in HEI; the Case of Dire Dawa University (DDU), Dire Dawa-Ethiopia},
  journal = {Journal of Human Resource Management},
  volume = {6},
  number = {4},
  pages = {111-118},
  doi = {10.11648/j.jhrm.20180604.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jhrm.20180604.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jhrm.20180604.11},
  abstract = {The ability to manage knowledge has become increasingly more crucial in today’s world since knowledge is a vibrant force in the rapidly changing global economy and society. This has led to the emergence of a knowledge-based economy which calls for a rising emphasis on knowledge management processes and practices. In the advancement of knowledge sharing and knowledge management, universities are no exception. This is justified not only because of universities are widely regarded as teaching establishments and the main instruments of society for the constant pursuit of knowledge but also they are viewed as organizations that create new knowledge and support social communities improving teaching-learning in higher education. In Ethiopia since 1991, much focus has been given to the expansion of higher education helping the number of public universities to grow from 2 to more than 30 in a period of two decades. With such government's expansion plan, Dire Dawa University (DDU) is established in 2006 as second generation university with the view not only to realize the triple functions of higher education institutions (teaching-learning, community service and research activities), but to handle special task of reaching out different industries through research and development since it is located in the Easter Economic Corridor of the country. As well known the performance and effectiveness of any institution in general and academic higher institutions, in particular, depends on the quality of its human personnel and the way any given institution utilizes it. In this regard, knowledge management in higher educational institutions like DDU must aim at integrating the knowledge produced at all levels and using it towards the institute's goals and targets. This particular study has critically examined knowledge sharing and management practices and experiences in Dire Dawa University while analyzing the degree and level of coordination and cooperation between and among the admin and academic staffs where observation and secondary data utilized to analyze the issue. The result of the study indicates that there is deep division, hierarchical structure and rigid communication system in DDU’s human resources and Institutional setup. The dichotomy amongst the two wings and the subsequent hostile relationship between the academic and admin staffs obviously limited knowledge sharing and flow. Hence, it is recommended that building a strong organizational culture must be the top priority of the university leadership by avoiding such dichotomy amongst the workforce in the institution.},
 year = {2019}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - An Assessment of Knowledge Sharing and Management Practices in HEI; the Case of Dire Dawa University (DDU), Dire Dawa-Ethiopia
AU  - Takele Bekele Bayu
Y1  - 2019/01/31
PY  - 2019
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jhrm.20180604.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.jhrm.20180604.11
T2  - Journal of Human Resource Management
JF  - Journal of Human Resource Management
JO  - Journal of Human Resource Management
SP  - 111
EP  - 118
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2331-0715
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jhrm.20180604.11
AB  - The ability to manage knowledge has become increasingly more crucial in today’s world since knowledge is a vibrant force in the rapidly changing global economy and society. This has led to the emergence of a knowledge-based economy which calls for a rising emphasis on knowledge management processes and practices. In the advancement of knowledge sharing and knowledge management, universities are no exception. This is justified not only because of universities are widely regarded as teaching establishments and the main instruments of society for the constant pursuit of knowledge but also they are viewed as organizations that create new knowledge and support social communities improving teaching-learning in higher education. In Ethiopia since 1991, much focus has been given to the expansion of higher education helping the number of public universities to grow from 2 to more than 30 in a period of two decades. With such government's expansion plan, Dire Dawa University (DDU) is established in 2006 as second generation university with the view not only to realize the triple functions of higher education institutions (teaching-learning, community service and research activities), but to handle special task of reaching out different industries through research and development since it is located in the Easter Economic Corridor of the country. As well known the performance and effectiveness of any institution in general and academic higher institutions, in particular, depends on the quality of its human personnel and the way any given institution utilizes it. In this regard, knowledge management in higher educational institutions like DDU must aim at integrating the knowledge produced at all levels and using it towards the institute's goals and targets. This particular study has critically examined knowledge sharing and management practices and experiences in Dire Dawa University while analyzing the degree and level of coordination and cooperation between and among the admin and academic staffs where observation and secondary data utilized to analyze the issue. The result of the study indicates that there is deep division, hierarchical structure and rigid communication system in DDU’s human resources and Institutional setup. The dichotomy amongst the two wings and the subsequent hostile relationship between the academic and admin staffs obviously limited knowledge sharing and flow. Hence, it is recommended that building a strong organizational culture must be the top priority of the university leadership by avoiding such dichotomy amongst the workforce in the institution.
VL  - 6
IS  - 4
ER  -

Copy | Download