Assessment Of Existing Knowledge Sharing Practices Among The Academic Staff Of Adama And Jimma Universities

Abstract

Today knowledge management and knowledge sharing has been appeared as one of the most important areas in knowledge management practices and established as a basic resource for the organization's competitive advantage over the world. Therefore, to be competent organizations need to manage knowledge. Knowledge sharing is the main backbone of knowledge management, because having knowledge is meaningless unless it is shared and allowed it to be used by others. The concept knowledge sharing practice was limited acceptance in higher education institutions. The aim of this study was to assess the existing knowledge sharing practices among the academic staff of Adama Science and Technology University (ASTU) and Jimma University (JU). In addition, the study identified the level or extent of knowledge sharing practices, barriers that hinders knowledge sharing practices, the mechanisms used for knowledge sharing among the academic staff of ASTU and JU. This study employed the descriptive research design from descriptive cross- sectional survey and qualitative and quantitative (mixed) research approaches and conducted from May 29, 2013 to June 10, 2013 in Jimma University and from June 15, 2013 to June 30, 2013 in Adama University. A selfadministered questionnaire was distributed to a total of 316 staffs in Adama and Jimma (177 & 139) Universities respectively and to collect qualitative data in-depth interviews was done with four key informants. The data were cleaned, coded and fed into SPSS Version 16.0 and analyzed using mean, variance, standard deviation, and factor analysis. The finding of the study revealed that Adama and Jimma Universities academic staffs were not satisfied with the existing knowledge sharing practices, there were no motivational scheme for knowledge sharing and individual, organizational and technological factors affect the staffs not to share knowledge. It is recommended that appropriate mechanisms be in place for knowledge sharing, there should be mechanisms to motivate knowledge sharing and the top management should take possible measurement for individual, organizational and technological factors that affect knowledge sharing practices.