Knowledge sharing. Role of academics towards research productivity in higher learning institution
| Date | 06 March 2019 |
| Pages | 136-159 |
| Published date | 06 March 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/VJIKMS-09-2018-0074 |
| Author | Muhammad Ashraf Fauzi,Christine Tan Nya-Ling,Ramayah Thursamy,Adedapo Oluwaseyi Ojo |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Knowledge management,Knowledge management systems |
Knowledge sharing
Role of academics towards research
productivity in higher learning institution
Muhammad Ashraf Fauzi
Faculty of Industrial Management, Universiti Malaysia Pahang,
Kuantan, Malaysia
Christine Tan Nya-Ling
Faculty of Management, Multimedia University, Cyberjaya, Malaysia
Ramayah Thursamy
School of Management, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia, and
Adedapo Oluwaseyi Ojo
Faculty of Management, Multimedia University, Cyberjaya, Malaysia
Abstract
Purpose –Academics researchproductivity is the pinnacle issue ofhigher learning institution (HLI) quest
for providingthe best service for the communityand a country’s as a whole. Being productivein their area of
expertise will determine how far HLI can challenge for the best education in the world. In lieu of this,
knowledge sharing(KS) behavior determinants are assessedto determine what factors that cancontribute to
academic’sres earch productivity.
Design/methodology/approach –A quota sampling method was appliedin selecting academics from
public and private universities in Malaysia.A partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM)
was used foranalysis.
Findings –The results show that academics productivity explained variance is 22.6 per cent. This suggests
that academics KS behavior has substantial impact on research productivity. As for determinants of academic’s
attitude, academics commitment, trust and social network constituted an explained variance of 36.4 per cent.
Management support has an explained variance of 38.7 per cent towards subjective norm, while facilitating
condition and social media has an explained variance of 26.5 per cent towards perceived behavioral control (PBC).
Academics KS intention and KS behavior explained variance were 62.1 and 47.1 per cent, respectively.
Research limitations/implications –All the hypotheses result in significant relationship except for
H1, commitment toward attitude. The impact of this study will be discussed in term of its theoretical and
managerialperspectives.
Originality/value –The KS behavior in a multiracial and multinational country in Malaysia can be a
benchmarkfor Asian countries in general.
Keywords Malaysia, Academics, Knowledge sharing, Research productivity, Higher learning institution
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Knowledge sharing (KS)is crucial for organizations in achieving success. Having KS culture
within organizations would have tremendous effect on their performance, as it stimulates
Funding: This study was funded by Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia under Fundamental
Research Grant Scheme (FRGS). The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
VJIKMS
49,1
136
Received17 September 2018
Revised9 December 2018
Accepted31 December 2018
VINEJournal of Information and
KnowledgeManagement Systems
Vol.49 No. 1, 2019
pp. 136-159
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2059-5891
DOI 10.1108/VJIKMS-09-2018-0074
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2059-5891.htm
the ability of the employees’in addressing issues and problems within (Alshamsi and
Ajmal, 2018). As with other organizations, higher learning institution(HLI) should be if not
the best place for KS to be realized. KS is a norm in HLI where academics as personnelwho
execute it by teaching and learning. KS are dependable on academics as long as they are
willing and freely shares what they know. It is a challenge in HLI where managements are
facing difficulties on how to induce academics into sharing. Knowledge is commonly
divided into tacit and explicit. Explicit knowledge is well-known knowledge that can be
easily retrieved by everyone. This knowledge is usually easily obtained and usually is not
required for academics to share it in a formal occasion. Meanwhile, tacit knowledge is more
valuable, it cannot be obtained or access easily,because of its intangible in nature (Goh and
Sandhu, 2013). It must be sharedby the person who owns the knowledge. Most of academics
are well verse and experts in their area and the only way knowledge that residein their head
is to be known to others is by them to share. The plight of the situation is when academics
do not share it because of several reasons that confined among three factors, for example,
individual, organizationaland technological (Riege, 2005).
Academics output is one of the major weightage in university ranking. These output
include number of publication, engagement in professional bodies and availability of
academics coming to conference among others (Fauzi et al., 2018). These activities are
considered as the academics productivity in executing research within the context of
academia. The relation among KS behavior and research productivity has never been done
before to the knowledge of the author. It is rather important because of the current need of
HLI on the research output from academics.This new phenomenon has elevated the need for
academics to produce substantial output from the research work which eventually has
widen the scope of the KS and researchproductivity relationship.
Research productivity
Worldwide, majority of governments have implemented mechanism of assurance for
research productivity, means to elevate the research and quality of HLI (Wills et al.,2013).
This has been contributedby the establishment of university rankingwhere research output
in term of publication and number of graduate student among other factors, are being part
of the weightage criteriabeing measured in such rankings.
To ensure the productivity of academics in delivering the best research results, serious
steps should be taken, either personalor management level. One of the best interventions is
to encourage academics to share theirknowledge either through formal or informal method
or to everyone associated with HLI, especially fellow academics. KS has proved to be the
best strategies in distributing knowledge not only in HLI, but also other industries, where
the notion that comes that knowledge is power. Anyone holding the knowledge holds
advantage over others.
Research publication has been known worldwide as medium which academics in HLI
expand their social interaction and knowledge economy (Dhillon et al., 2015). HLI requires
conducting quality research output which can directly affect the nation’s development.
Quality research is consideredas valuable assets to an HLI where excellence can be attained,
demonstrated by academic’s intellectual property, publications and citations, research
funding and supervisionof postgraduate students.
New knowledge can be created as a direct outcome of the productive research of
academics. Academics performances are measured by their publication in refereed index
journals particularly in Scopus and Institute of Scientific Information (ISI). Some HLI have
made it clear that academics would have to have certain amount of publications in top tier
journals as considerationfor their promotion and annual performance target.
Role of academics
towards research
productivity
137
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