Assessing knowledge sharing practices and their effect on teaching staff performance in selected public universities in Kenya

Abstract

Universities and other knowledge based organizations recognize that knowledge is an asset that can help them achieve their objectives. This can work if the knowledge is governed by proper knowledge management and sharing systems that support knowledge sharing. It is regrettable that there are no laid down processes through which relevant knowledge can be identified and shared among the teaching staff in public universities in Kenya. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of knowledge sharing on performance amongst teaching staff in selected public universities in Kenya and propose suitable strategies that can be used for enhanced performance. The objectives were to: examine kinds of knowledge communities that are available for enhancement of social capital; assess the information communication technology physical infrastructure used to enhance collaborations, linkages and partnerships; determine ways in which knowledge leakage has impacted on innovations; assess knowledge management practices used to promote learning, research and innovations; establish whether there are policy frameworks used to manage knowledge and are suitable in supporting staff performance and propose suitable knowledge sharing and management strategies that can be used to enhance performance of knowledge workers in Kenyan public universities. The study was informed by social exchange, adaptive structured, knowledge based theories and Nonaka and Takeuchi model of knowledge conversion. Mixed methods research, rooted in pragmatism was adopted. Systematic random sampling was used to select six universities from 23 chartered universities. The sample size was three hundred and eight (308) respondents. Data was collected through structured interviews and questionnaires and analysed using qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitative data was compiled into themes and reported in texts and direct quotations while quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics aided by statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) and presented in percentages, frequencies, means, tables and graphs. There were knowledge communities, information communication technology infrastructure (60%), knowledge leakage, underdeveloped knowledge management and lack of knowledge sharing policy (2%). There was association between: knowledge communities and enhancement of social capital valued at χ2(16) = 32.657, p=.008; information communication technology infrastructure and collaborations, linkages and partnerships at χ2(16) = 71.456, p=.000; knowledge leakage and impact on innovations at (χ2(6) = 21.631, p=.001; best practices used in knowledge management and ability to promote learning, research and innovations at (χ2(16) = 71.456, p-value = .000 and, policies of importance in knowledge management at, (χ2(1) = 5.866 p=.000. The study concluded that communities of practice, information communication technology physical infrastructure, knowledge leakage, knowledge management practices and knowledge sharing policies impact on performance. It recommended that university management should create effective avenues for knowledge sharing; finance teaching staff for knowledge sharing initiatives; document policies for all the activities; the teaching staff should tap knowledge from all staff; university librarians should develop working institutional repositories and the government should allocate enough resources to the universities to support knowledge sharing activities. A knowledge sharing model was developed.