The impact of knowledge management system on student performance. A case study of the University of Delhi
| Pages | 115-135 |
| Published date | 06 March 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/VJIKMS-07-2018-0065 |
| Date | 06 March 2019 |
| Author | Namita Jain,Vikas Gupta |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Knowledge management,Knowledge management systems |
The impact of knowledge
management system on
student performance
A case study of the University of Delhi
Namita Jain
Delhi School of Management, Delhi Technological University, Delhi, India and
Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi, India, and
Vikas Gupta
Delhi School of Management, Delhi Technological University, Delhi, India
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of thispaper is to empirically test the role of knowledge managementsystem (KMS)
on the performanceof students in higher educational institutions (HEIs).
Design/methodology/approach –Building on the extensive reviewof literature, the authors explored
the factors of KMS to arrive at the conceptual model which was then validated using structural equation
modeling. For the quantitative analysis, data were collected from undergraduate students using
questionnairesdistributed both through online and offline modes.
Findings –Empirical evidence supports the view that KMS have a direct and significant impact on the
student performance(SP) in HEIs.
Research limitations/implications –The data are limited to 311 undergraduate students from the
Universityof Delhi, India.
Practical implications –With the onset of national rankings framework like NAAC (National Assessment
and Accreditation Council), NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) and the attempt to achieve global
recognition in THE (Times Higher Education), Quacquarelli Symonds and other world university rankings, the
HEIs are trying hard to improve their performance comprehensively. In such a scenario, this paper provides
insights into how HEIs can enhance performance of its students by harnessing KMS.
Originality/value –The current paper empirically validates the effect of KMS on the performance of
students in an educational institution.While the impact of KMS on performance is measured empirically in
corporations, such studies are scanty in academic centers. Moreover, while measuring the performance in
HEIs using KM, the focus on rankingparameters has never been there. Such an orientation is essentialas the
rankingsare getting wide acceptance from a global audience.
Keywords Technology, Knowledge management system, Rankings,
Higher educational institutions, Student performance
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
The progress of a nation largely depends on its education system, which in turn has the
potential to do justice to its clients (students)if itcan make available the right knowledge at
the right time to enable one to take the right decision.
The above statement calls for an appropriate knowledge management system (KMS) in
education. With the advent of globalization and cross-border movement of students,
institutes want to obtain top ranksin global ranking systems to increase their visibility and
The impact of
knowledge
management
system
115
Received28 August 2018
Revised9 December 2018
Accepted31 December 2018
VINEJournal of Information and
KnowledgeManagement Systems
Vol.49 No. 1, 2019
pp. 115-135
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2059-5891
DOI 10.1108/VJIKMS-07-2018-0065
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2059-5891.htm
attract international students (Shastry, 2017). To attain this objective, there must be a
portrayal of excellent graduationoutcomes, success in innovation projects, good placements
and internships. Thestudents world over demand greater exposure, rewardingskillsets and
learning opportunities. Similarly, industry demands skills that are readily transferable to
industry (Murthy, 2010). Given such risingexpectations from all potential stakeholders and
challenging goals, proper management of the education system is imperative to maximize
the potential and productivityof available resources, limited in nature.
The paper proposes that such demands can be met by an effective KMS application in
the institutes. If done efficiently, KMS can lead to improved teaching, better research,
innovation, additional sources of income, exposure to overseas opportunities and skill
development (Kidwell et al.,2001). In this endeavor, information and communications
technology (ICT) can act as a catalyst by reducing spatial and temporal barriers and
improving access to knowledge (Hendriks, 1999).In fact, if latest ICTsare used to their full
potential, it can revolutionize the teaching-learning process. Nowadays information
technology is used extensivelyto facilitate knowledge management which is alsoreferred to
as KMS (Alavi and Leidner, 2001). Accordingto Rah et al. (2010) KMS refers to “a (generally
IT based) system for managing knowledge in organizations, supporting creation, capture,
storage and disseminationof information.”
The objective of this paper is to test the role of KMS on the performance of students in
Indian higher educational institutions (HEIs). India is a developing nation characterized by
low per capita income and high density of young population. About 50 per cent of its
population is under the age of 25 years and this demographic dividend is expected to peak
by 2020 as per the economic survey 2017 (Sethi, 2017). As the nation progresses in a
knowledge-driven society, Indian students will become the largest consumer of higher
educational services in the world. As per UNESCO report 2016, 2.5 lac Indian student
migrate to other countries for higher studies and spend about $3.7bn toward their
maintenance (Krishnan, 2017). This situation may be because of the dearth of globally
recognized institutes in India and growing competition for limited seats in them. As per
THES and QuacquarelliSymonds (QS) ranking 2018, only six HEIs in Indiacould make it to
the top 400 and none couldmake it to the top 100. The study by NASSCOM also revealsthat
only a fourth of Indian graduates are readilyemployable (Choudhari and Arya, 2011). Under
such circumstances, the presentstudy investigates the role of KMS in shaping the skills and
improving the performance of students in HEIs in India. For this purpose, data were
collected from the University of Delhi which is a renownedCentral university in the capital
and attracts students from all over the country. The main campuscolleges being the hub of
educational activity were directly approached with the structured questionnaire. Besides
online circulationwas also done via applications like WhatsApp, e-mail and so on.
2. Literature review and research synthesis
2.1 Knowledge and knowledge management
Knowledge starts with data (raw facts), figures and numbers. Information is data put into
context after appropriate processing.Knowledge is information which can be acted upon. It
incorporates experienceand judgment which enables efficient decision-making (Laal,2011).
KM is a discipline that promotes an integrated approach to identifying, capturing,
evaluating, retrieving, and sharing all of an enterprise’s information assets. These assets
may include databases, documents, policies, procedures, and previously un-captured
expertise and experience in individual workers”(Duhon, 1998). According to Gates (2000),
“KM is a very clever term to describe a very simple subject. Many of us simply do not think
in terms of managing knowledge, but we all do it. Each of us is a personal store of
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