Original Article
reza karimi; A. Hossein farajpahlou; f osareh
Abstract
Background and Objectives: ‘Ba’ environments in research centers are one of the most important factors influencing research development. The success of research centers can be classified into three categories of infrastructure factors, actors, and information resources to facilitate knowledge ...
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Background and Objectives: ‘Ba’ environments in research centers are one of the most important factors influencing research development. The success of research centers can be classified into three categories of infrastructure factors, actors, and information resources to facilitate knowledge creation in the ‘Ba’ environment. Evaluating Knowledge Creation ‘Ba’ environments which are designed and tested to evaluate the knowledge creation environment of Islamic research centers, is based on the Triple Helix Knowledge Creation Theory and the I- system used by researchers for academic and research centers. Ba’ environment in the knowledge creation process, doesn't just refer to a physical space, but includes virtual spaces based on the Internet, and more mental spaces which involve sharing experiences and ideas. Among its variables for evaluating the ‘Ba’ environment are intelligence, involvement, and imagination; and for researchers' abilities, the variables of participation and integration are used for evaluation. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge creation environment of Islamic research centers from the viewpoint of researchers and faculty members. Methodology: The present study is an applied research. The data collection method was survey. The main instrument for data collection was a questionnaire with 30 questions for 'ba' environment, seven questions for the capabilities of researchers and faculty members, and five questions for personality traits. The study population consisted of all researchers and faculty members of Iranian Islamic research Centers, who were 2328 people, from whom a sample of 330 individuals were chosen according to the Krejci-Morgan Table. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software program. Findings: The results on the ‘Ba’ environment in terms of infrastructure in intelligence Ba showed that all of the variables except the observed variable "External Electronic-knowledge resources" is in good condition. The results of the ‘Ba’ environment status from the perspective of “actors in ‘intelligence Ba’” showed that: all of the criteria except the variable "having a clear vision and strategy for the future of the situation", are good. Results on the ‘Ba’ environment in terms of “information in ‘intelligence Ba’” showed that all variable except the “Various programs for correction, evaluation, and documentation of research articles” are in good condition.Infrastructure assesses the possibility of scientific interaction in the ‘Ba’ environment. Based on the data, the level of assessment of the infrastructure of participation in the research environment is below average. Results of Data analysis for variables and Criteria showed that in ‘Ba’ environment for “actors in ‘involvement Ba’” all variables are in average level, in the ‘Ba’ environment “information in ‘involvement Ba’” all the criteria are below the average level, in the ‘Ba’ environment “infrastructure in ‘imagination Ba’” the variables are above average, in the ‘Ba’ environment “actors in ‘imagination Ba’ variables are in average level and in the ‘Ba’ environment “information in ‘imagination Ba’” the criteria in the research environment are above average. In addition, Status of ‘Ba’ environment “capabilities of researchers and faculty members” from integration and participation factors showed that different research Abilities are desirable. Furthermore, ‘Ba’ environment status results in terms of personality traits showed that: activity (curiosity, foresight) interest in working at the research environment, empathy (communication skills) interest in attending scientific and research meetings and generally sharing opinions, persistence (planning skills) perseverance on doing research work, autonomy (sense of responsibility) ability to control Feelings and doubts about completing research work, being able to comprehend, Thinking skill (logical thinking) analyzing research activities (including insights, comprehension, and memory) are in desirable level. Also, Equivalent Ph.D. scholars and researchers with more than 25 years of experience have more research activities. Discussion: Relatively appropriate actions have been taken in specific environments of Islamic research centers to facilitate the creation of knowledge, but authorities and participants can use the results of evaluating knowledge creation in such an environment to address weaknesses and improve their strengths.
Original Article
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The aim of this study is to identify the status of knowledge sharing to determine the attitude of librarians towards knowledge sharing, to identify the potential barriers and to put forward effective solutions to improve the knowledge sharing in the public libraries of Kermanshah ...
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Background and Objectives: The aim of this study is to identify the status of knowledge sharing to determine the attitude of librarians towards knowledge sharing, to identify the potential barriers and to put forward effective solutions to improve the knowledge sharing in the public libraries of Kermanshah province.
Methodology: This study is as an applied study which has been carried out using survey method. It is also a quantitative study in terms of the type of data. For data collection, there was used a standardized questionnaire prepared by Chung, Yoon and John (2014). The research populations of the study included the librarians and managers of public libraries of Kermanshah province. In 2016, 69 public libraries with 181 librarians and managers have been active in public libraries. Based on Cochran formula, there are 123 samples in this study. It is worth mentioning that, in order to ensure about returning the questionnaires, there were distributed more questionnaires than needed (135); however all the questionnaires were returned. Data analysis was done in two parts of data description and inferential analysis using SPSS software.
Findings: The results showed that gender, marital status, major of study (except for the component of strategies of knowledge exchange improvement), education level, age and employment background of librarians have not been effective on the process of knowledge sharing and knowledge exchange in the public libraries of Kermanshah Province. Employment background is effective on the process of acquiring knowledge and strategies of knowledge exchange improvement; also, the librarians’ major of study is effective on the strategies of knowledge exchange improvement in the public libraries of Kermanshah Province. The city of employment has no effect on the process of knowledge sharing, but on the barriers of knowledge sharing instead. Regarding the different ways of knowledge exchange, the results showed that about 80 percent of librarians have reported informational and communicational technologies; about 54 percent, meeting with colleagues; 43 percent, social networks; about 24 percent, counseling method; about 15 percent, seminars or workshops and 0.7 percent have reported storytelling as the most common ways of knowledge exchange. 35.6 percent of librarians have used only one of the instruments of knowledge exchange; 26.7 percent have used two options; 25.9 percent, three options; 11.1 percent, four options and 0.7 percent of the librarians have used five options for knowledge exchange. Of the librarians who have used informational and communicational technologies for knowledge exchange, 45.2 percent have used telephone; 32.6 percent, e-mail; 23.7 percent, electronic discussion groups; 14.08 percent, weblogs and 14.08 percent have used the organization’s portal for knowledge exchange. The librarians have reported the followings as the main obstacles in the way of knowledge sharing: lack of a true rewarding system, lack of a system to introduce the individuals requiring knowledge sharing, also the weak verbal and written communications as well as weakness in interpersonal skills. From the view point of the librarians of Kermanshah province, the role of technology in the improvement of knowledge exchange and using newsletters and similar instruments in knowledge sharing are among the most significant strategies in promotion of knowledge exchange.
Discussion: The librarians have reported informational technology, meeting colleagues, social networks, consulting method, workshop and storytelling as the most common ways of knowledge exchange. They have also listed the followings as the most important barriers in the way of knowledge exchange: lack of a true rewarding system, lack of a system to introduce people who need knowledge exchange, weak oral and written interactions and weakness of internal skills. From the view point of the librarians, the role of technology in the improvement of knowledge exchange and using newsletters and similar instruments in knowledge sharing are among the most significant strategies in promotion of knowledge exchange.
Original Article
Ali Biranvand; Ahmad Shabani; Asefeh Asemi; Mozafar cheshmaeh Sohrabi
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Knowledge commercialization is a trend that a university can transfer the results of own members' research to the market to make capital. The point to be taken into account in this process is to identify and prioritize the factors contributing to the process of knowledge commercialization. ...
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Background and Objectives: Knowledge commercialization is a trend that a university can transfer the results of own members' research to the market to make capital. The point to be taken into account in this process is to identify and prioritize the factors contributing to the process of knowledge commercialization. It must be noted that identifying influential factors allows managers and decision makers to make decisions and determine commercialization policies. Accordingly, this research tries to identify and prioritize the factors affecting the commercialization of research results. Identifying the factors influencing the knowledge commercialization allows researchers and scholars to detect the possible barriers and anticipate removing them. Methodology: This research used qualitative approach and confirmatory factor analysis method to identify the items influencing knowledge commercialization in previous researches through library studies, then using Delphi method, it sought the opinions of knowledge commercialization experts about the identified factors in the University of Isfahan. The samples consisted of 262 faculty members and graduated students of Isfahan University in the academic year of 2018-19 who have commercialized the results of their research or planned to commercialize but failed and also were familiar with the process of knowledge commercialization. In this research, descriptive statistics including mean and standard deviation were run to calculate the opinions of experts on the indicators of knowledge commercialization. Furthermore, Kendall's coefficient of concordance (W) was used to determine the degree of unity in experts' opinions. Also, to prioritize the factors, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used. Findings: Among the three factors under study, background factors with a weight of 0.456, content factors with a weight of 0.339, and structural factors with a weight of 0.226 ranked the first to third priorities, respectively as the factors affecting knowledge commercialization. Applying fuzzy AHP, the sub-criteria for each of the main factors were compared as a pair. Defuzzyfication results of structural sub-criteria show that the "financial and information resources" with a weight of 0.359, "hard capabilities, processes, technology, and capabilities" with a weight of 0.343, and the "networking strategic links" with a weight of 0.298 were ranked first to third, respectively. Moreover, Defuzzyfication results of the content sub-criteria show that "knowledge base and research quality" with the weight of 0.507, "soft capabilities; human and marketing skills" with a weight of 0.301, and "internal management of the organization" with the weight of 0.192 were ranked first to third, respectively. Identifying the ultimate priority of indicators affecting the knowledge commercialization with the help of pairwise comparison showed that among the indicators related to the sub-criteria of financial and information resources, the index of "providing the required financial resources" with a weight of 0.577 is the most important one. Among the indicators of strategic links, the index of "establishing strategic relations between the university and industry" with a weight of 0.564 is in the first priority. Also, of the five indicators related to the sub-criterion of hard capabilities, the index of "creating a center / institution of commercialization" with a weight of 0.245 is the first priority. Among the four indicators of internal management, the index of "strengthening and promoting the culture of commercialization at universities" with a weight of 0.307 is the first priority. Furthermore, a pair comparison of the innovative infrastructure sub-criteria revealed that the "communication infrastructure" index with a weight of 0.429 is the first priority. The fuzzy values related to the sub-criteria of the political and legal environment confirm that the index of "commercial support laws and regulations" with a weight of 0.548 is the first priority. Among the four indicators related to the sub-criteria of "technical, economic and market environment", the index of "market needs and demand for research results" is in the first priority. Discussion: One of the obstacles to knowledge commercialization at the University of Isfahan is the lack of communication infrastructure to organize the results of academic research and provide it to related industries for exploitation. Lack of knowledge about academic researchers and the needs of the industrial sector as well as inability to communicate effectively with the industrial sector are the factors that lead to a failure in the knowledge commercialization. Obviously, the connection between university and industry will be effective in conveying the results of academic research. On the other hand, lack of information network for registering ideas, patent and research results in the Deputy of Research and communication with industry at the University of Isfahan has caused the owners of ideas and inventors to face a bulk of obstacles to transfer research results or register their ideas. The lack of supportive policies in the field of intellectual property ownership is also of the concerns in this respect. Because the lack of guarantee in the protection of intellectual property rights lead to the transfer of academic research results through the bases other than the academic ones and the role of universities in this regard be overlooked. Given the existence and occurrence of such problems, it seems necessary to design and use the information system for registering and transferring inventions by considering the laws of intellectual property owners at the University of Isfahan.
Original Article
asgar akbari; fatemeh nooshnfard; nadjla hriri
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Knowledge management is a planned and structured view of creating, sharing and storing knowledge as an organizational asset that is designed to enhance the ability, speed and effectiveness of an organization to deliver products or services to customers in line with business ...
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Background and Objectives: Knowledge management is a planned and structured view of creating, sharing and storing knowledge as an organizational asset that is designed to enhance the ability, speed and effectiveness of an organization to deliver products or services to customers in line with business strategy. But the barriers to knowledge flow usually create barriers that lead to temporary constraints, lack of motivation, lack of awareness, and lack of coordination among departments, which in turn impose a heavy cost on the organization, so the main purpose of this study was to rank university libraries. Based on the maturity model of knowledge management to utilize the services of libraries in knowledge management.
Methodology: The present study is a qualitative and quantitative combination. The statistical population consisted of 18 experts in the qualitative section and 184 in the central libraries of the university in the first phase and 35 faculty members in the second group of information science in the first stage. . Data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire.
Findings: In evaluating the importance of Friedman test for knowledge flow dimensions with other dimensions of knowledge flow, mean rating of management factors was 5.72, knowledge source dimension 5.17, organizational factors 4.67, time factors 4.37, communication channel factors 4.22, individual factors 4.21, technical factors 3.92 and knowledge features dimension 3.72 which have the lowest rank and least importance among the different dimensions of knowledge flow. In this test, chi-square statistic value was calculated 97.55 and significance level was 0.000. Since the level of significance is smaller than the alpha value (P <0.05), the null hypothesis that there is no significant difference between the dimensions of knowledge rejection flow and its opposite assumption is confirmed. This means that there is a statistically significant difference between the dimensions of knowledge flow. Also, ranking libraries with maturity levels of knowledge management showed that at developmental level, at the level of individual and managerial factors, at the level of standardization, at the level of knowledge features and communication channels, at the optimization level, at the knowledge source dimension, and at the innovation level, at the organizational factors dimension. Time factors have obstacles. For the knowledge features and communication channels, the standardization stage is more tangible than the stages of knowledge flow. For the source of knowledge, organizational and technical factors are the most hindrances in the fourth level of optimization. For managerial and individual factors, the second level, development, is more tangible for this obstacle. For time factors, innovation is recognized as the most important obstacle. Overall, the results show that innovation is the most tangible step in the whole process.
Discussion: Academic libraries as organizations, based on the steps of the knowledge management cycle, which include knowledge creation, knowledge gathering, knowledge sharing, knowledge access and use of knowledge, have an important role to play in knowledge management. The current status of the library compared to the maturity levels of KM showed that barriers to knowledge flow factors other than start level, development level, standardization level, optimization level and level of innovation have barriers. These barriers at the level of innovation, the level of exploitation, are the output of knowledge management and the ability to manage and lead an organization. If libraries are effectively managed to overcome the barriers at this level, their output will be desirable. Ineffective management and leadership have the most unsuccessful role in managing libraries. It should be kept in mind that organization leadership is a key pillar of knowledge management, so it should be clear to managers how and where to manage knowledge, because if the management of the organization does not seriously support knowledge management in any way, any ineffective effort will be made. Will be. Of course, not all the barriers to knowledge flow factors can be removed at once, or an implementation plan can be designed for all of them, as there are certainly barriers to organizational life and various factors. So, to get rid of them, you need all the attention. Therefore, although the emphasis on the role of managerial factors is more than other factors, the role of other factors such as organizational factors, human factors, technical factors, temporal factors, communication channel factors should not be overlooked. The present study identifies the bottlenecks and levels of barriers at each level of knowledge management levels in academic libraries. Specifies the factors and indicators needed for each step for the next step. This is a great help for managers to use it to remove the barriers to knowledge management.
Original Article
Mohammad Hossein Ronaghi
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Knowledge management is a competitive advantage in an organization. Knowledge management maturity models assist organizations to evaluate Knowledge management projects and adopt appropriate strategies for progress. Knowledge has a vital role in achieving organizational goals. ...
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Background and Objectives: Knowledge management is a competitive advantage in an organization. Knowledge management maturity models assist organizations to evaluate Knowledge management projects and adopt appropriate strategies for progress. Knowledge has a vital role in achieving organizational goals. Knowledge is dependent on people and the relationship between them. Knowledge bases in organizations are built up through processes of creativity and the exploration of new technical and market developments. In turn, they are utilized through processes of product-line extension and the exploitation of existing domain specific knowledge. New knowledge becomes embodied not only in the product or service being designed, but also in the organization’s broader routines and practices in such areas as engineering, manufacturing, and customer service, which can be used to create value for customers in the future. Thus, firms that develop leading edge products and services are, of necessity, engaged in the process of knowledge creation. Embedded within this learning process at the organizational level, the process of creativity is simultaneously unfolding at the individual and inter-personal level. Creativity and knowledge management are both important competences that organizations need to strive to develop. On the other hand, Social capital is defined as networks together with shared norms, values and understandings that facilitate co-operation within or among groups. From an overall perspective social capital can enhance the entire knowledge management process because it makes collective action more efficient, because it becomes a substitute for the formal contracts, incentives, and monitoring mechanisms that are necessary in systems with little or no social capital among organizational members. Accordingly, this research examines the effect of social capital on knowledge management maturity with the role of mediator of creativity. Methodology: This research is descriptive survey, in which the questionnaire has been used to collect data. IT companies were chosen by industrial management institute ranking in 2018. We contacted by 27 managers of IT companies and requested for collaboration; 13 managers accepted our request. The survey sample consists of 378 randomly taken employees and managers of selected IT companies. The used tools of the study include three types of questionnaires. To assess the validity of the scale, content validity examination was used (0.87, 0.89 and 0.91) that all illustrating acceptable validity. In order to determine the reliability of the data gathering tool, the final draft of the scale was considered. The Cronbach's alpha was calculated for questionnaires which resulted in acceptable reliability coefficients (0.71, 0.78 and 0.83). The Kolmogorov–Smirnov test was used for testing normality. After normality test, we used Pearson correlation coefficient for evaluating the relationship among variables. Structural equation model was used to assess the overall relationships between Knowledge Management Maturity, Social Capital and Creativity. The Collected data has been analyzed by structural equation software LISREL Findings: An important part of the results revealed there was a positive direct relationship between social capital and creativity (r = 0.45, p = 0.02) social capital and knowledge management maturity (r = 0.58, p = 0.02), creativity and knowledge management maturity (r = 0.40, p = 0.02). Model showed a good fit, with Chi-square/d.f. = 1.61 (< 2), goodness of fit (GFI) = 0.91 (> 0.9), adjust Normed Fit Index (NFI) = 0.92 (> 0.9), Non-Normed Fit Index (NNFI) = 0.93 (> 0.9), Relative Fit Index (RFI) = 0.92 (> 0.9), Standardized RMR = 0.046 (< 0.05), comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.94 (> 0.9), and root mean square error of approximation (RMESA) = 0.054 (< 0.080). Path coefficient of social capital to knowledge management maturity was 0.72 (p < 0.001), showing social capital had a significantly positive influence on knowledge management maturity. Path coefficient of social capital to creativity was 0.63 (p < 0.003), showing social capital had a significantly positive influence on creativity. Path coefficient of creativity to knowledge management maturity was 0.58 (p < 0.005), showing creativity had a significantly positive influence on knowledge management maturity. Discussion: We explore the interaction among knowledge management maturity, social capital and creativity through structural equation model. Social capital is an important facilitator and boosts creativity. Employees who have good relationships with their colleagues in terms of mutual trust, respect and friendship serve to enhance creativity. The members of an organization contribute their functional expertise by communicating, cooperating, coordinating, and sharing information, and in this way, social capital has a direct effect on the capability for creating intellectual capital. Also, since the workplace is one of the types of social environment, perceptions of the work environment can influence the creative work actualized in organizations. The relationship among research variables revealed to achieve knowledge creation, group discussions and employee's creativity are necessary. KM involves the interaction and transformation between explicit knowledge and implicit knowledge. Through organizational interactions, the employees were able to integrate explicit and implicit knowledge into their knowledge systems, thereby increasing their creativity.
Original Article
Mansor Kohi Rostami; Mohsen Haji Zeinolabedini; Negar Moori Bakhtyari
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The benefits of using knowledge management have led many organizations, including public libraries, to make efforts to implement this process; but initial efforts in most libraries face the major challenge that, despite the investment in knowledge management, the expansion ...
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Background and Objectives: The benefits of using knowledge management have led many organizations, including public libraries, to make efforts to implement this process; but initial efforts in most libraries face the major challenge that, despite the investment in knowledge management, the expansion of the use of its applications is slowly occurring. The main reason for this problem is the low level of library's readiness for the adoption and use of knowledge management. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the extent of this readiness to find ways to help the successful establishment of knowledge management in the organization. The successful implementation of knowledge management in various organizations, including public libraries, requires factors that can regulate all library activities. Success in implementing KM requires that by assessing the status quo in terms of culture and human factor, information technology, structure and processes, we should be aware of the readiness of the library for the successful use of knowledge management. The research focuses on two cultural and human factors, namely social capital and organizational culture, because of the limited scope of research. Therefore, in designing the proposed research, social capital variables as independent variable; Organizational Culture variable as intermediary variable and knowledge management are dependent on variables. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of social capital of librarians of public libraries in Khuzestan Province through the mediation of organizational culture on knowledge management.
Methodology: The research method is survey. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and partial least squares method were used to test the hypotheses and model fitness. The population of the study is 380 librarians of general libraries in Khuzestan province. According to Morgan table, 181 people participated as a sample in research. T test, independent t, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation analysis was used.
Findings: All coefficients of factor loads are higher than 0.4, so the model has acceptable reliability measurement. Cronbach's alpha and CR are above 0.7 and all AVE values are higher than 0.5. Therefore, it can be said that the model has a desirable reliability. The statistical significance of the variables of social capital and organizational culture is equal to 68.84 and greater than (2.58), indicating that the relationship between these variables is significant at the level of confidence (99%). Also, the path coefficient between these two variables is equal to (0.867) which shows the effect of the social capital variable on organizational culture and indicates the significance of the first hypothesis of research based on the impact of social capital on organizational culture. Regarding the second hypothesis, the path coefficient between social capital and knowledge management variables is equal to 145.1 and its significance is 2.755, which indicates the significance of the effect of this variable at 95% level, and the third hypothesis of the research is confirmed on this basis. The path coefficient between the organizational culture and knowledge management variables is 0.783, which confirms the significance statistic of 15.86 (greater than 2.58) of the third hypothesis of the research that influences the organizational culture on knowledge management. Also, the results of the t-sobel test show that organizational culture has a mediating role in the relationship between social capital and knowledge management.
Discussion: The results of this study showed that social capital has a positive and direct effect on the establishment of knowledge management in public libraries of Khuzestan province. As we expected, there was a positive relationship between social capital and the degree of organizational readiness for the establishment of knowledge management, since, as Nahapit and Ghoshal (1998) state, social capital for the development and distribution of knowledge in Organizations are essential. The results showed that organizational culture has a direct positive effect on knowledge management. Culture is an essential element in both the establishment and continuation of the establishment of knowledge management systems. Therefore, organizational culture as the main personality and basic structure of the organization plays an effective role in establishing a knowledge management system, and the organization must first focus on organizational culture in order to effectively manage the knowledge of the employees and promote it throughout the organization. The result of testing the research hypotheses shows that there is a significant positive relationship between the two main concepts of research: organizational culture and social capital, which means as one increases, so does the other. Regarding the effect of the variables that make up social capital in organizational culture, it seems that if the managers of public libraries of Khuzestan Province are to increase the abovementioned factors, While strengthening the organizational culture in the mentioned centers, they can build a suitable platform for creating a common agreement that this factor can help establishing better knowledge management.
Original Article
Knowledge Management
asghar zamani
Abstract
Background and Objectives: In today’s knowledge society, it is vital to use the experiences gained by directors and chancellors of organizations and their experts for Succession and educating new directors. But unfortunately, in higher education and especially in research centers and institutes, ...
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Background and Objectives: In today’s knowledge society, it is vital to use the experiences gained by directors and chancellors of organizations and their experts for Succession and educating new directors. But unfortunately, in higher education and especially in research centers and institutes, despite the important role of experience, it is neglected to document experiences and the tacit knowledge inherent in experiences for several reasons such as: lack of culture of writing, vagueness of the concept of organizational experience, lack of a proper method for documentation and sharing it, and lack of legal and supportive infrastructure. Accordingly, efforts should be made to extract accumulated knowledge in the minds of Chancellors and deputies of research centers and institutes, by documentation of experiences, so it will be possible to share knowledge and experience among new Chancellors and deputies. Therefore, the knowledge stored in research centers and institutes become a permanent usable resource. Based on this, the study by examining the status of organizational experiences documentation of Chancellors and deputies of research centers and institutes, develop a model for this important issue.The purpose of this study was to identify the status of documenting the organizational experiences of research institutes and centers, using mixed-method. Methodology: This research is developmental and applied research. In this research, according to the subject and nature of the research, the research method was mixed method and exploratory. In qualitative section, interview was used for data gathering. The questions of interview selected through literature review and consultation with some experts. It is notable that the interviews were semi-structured. Participants in qualitative section were experienced experts (Chancellors and deputies of research centers and institutes), theoretical experts (experts in the field of higher education), and experts in the field of experiences documentation. Some participants were experts in two or three fields of expertise. After implementing the interviews, an open coding method was used to analyze the qualitative data. Then, by calculating the reliability and validity, based on the gathered data, a questionnaire was developed. In the next phase, validity and reliability (by calculating Cronbach’s alpha) of questionnaire were confirmed and the questionnaire sent to the statistical population of the study (including all Chancellors and deputies, Heads of Offices of Chancellors and deputies, and Heads of Public Relations in research centers and institutes affiliated by the Ministry of Science and Technology and Research). Also, in quantitative phase, descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used to analyze the collected data. Findings: The results indicated that men had more positive attitude toward documenting their experiences than women, and the attitude of those with more than 10 years of service experience was better than those with less than 10 years of service. The existing status of research institutes was also negative in terms of documenting the experience in the true sense, but documenting approvals and consultations based on experiences in council meetings was partly done. Concerning the sharing of tacit knowledge and experiences is also the central focus of the individual factors of the members of research institutes to share organizational knowledge and experience with colleagues. Internal and external factors play a supporting role in the sharing of tacit knowledge and experience, and faculty member is the ultimate decision-maker in tacit knowledge sharing based on his or her own knowledge abilities and individual and personality factors. Discussion: According to the results, if Ministry of Science, Research and Technology would like to document organizational experiences, and to avoid trial and error at research institutions, it is suggested that the real will for documentation of experiences be developed in Higher Education Directors. Also, policy and legal and judicial issues in this regard be developed. The issue be emphasized at the summit of heads of universities and research institutes. The Ministry of Science send an announcement and call for documentation of organizational and management documentation; however, due to the issues such as university autonomy and academic features, it cannot be treated in a cohesive manner. Also, it is suggested that the Ministry of Science establish the necessity for policy and supportive, legal and legal infrastructure, and, if necessary, requests it from the three branches of the powers and takes the necessary approvals. It is suggested that the issue of documentation of organizational experience be included in the appointment of all chancellors of research institutions. Through the Board of Trustees, the subject of documentation of organizational experiences be cited as mission or vision. Finally, it is suggested to set up supportive and incentive laws (such as financial or spiritual, promotion laws, etc.) to support documentary makers and users of experiences.
Original Article
Behjat Taheri; Leyla Hoseini; Asefeh Hadadpour
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Since Isfahan University of Medical Sciences is an educational and therapeutic organization and so far no study has been done on the status of the necessary infrastructures for the establishment of knowledge management, this study aims to investigate the status of the components ...
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Background and Objectives: Since Isfahan University of Medical Sciences is an educational and therapeutic organization and so far no study has been done on the status of the necessary infrastructures for the establishment of knowledge management, this study aims to investigate the status of the components of organizational culture, information technology, Human Resources and Organizational Structure to Establish Knowledge Management in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. Methodology: This research was a descriptive survey and the statistical population consisted of all experts working in the staff of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. Morgan table was used to determine the sample size and the sample size was 313 people. The data gathering tool was a researcher-made questionnaire consisting of 4 domains and 35 questions which was used in the Likert scale. The reliability of the questionnaire was also obtained using Cronbach's alpha 0.9. For data analysis, SPSS statistical software was used. Findings: Data analysis showed that total mean component of organizational culture (2.69±0.80) with an average assumptions (3) showed that the components of the corporate culture at the University of Medical Sciences to establish knowledge management is not in good condition. Based on the average of the hypothetical 3 and the average total organizational structure components (2.85± 0.75) Isfahan University of Medical Sciences status of this component is to establish the right knowledge management. The total mean component of human resources (2.82 ± 0.79) with an average assumptions (3) that is not desirable component of human resources for implementing knowledge management in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. Investigating the relationship between age and the components of organizational culture, human resources and information technology also showed that none of the components except organizational culture (p <0.05) have any relation with age. In addition, Spearman test showed that this variable was not correlated with any of the studied components (p <0.05). Discussion: According to the research objectives, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences does not have the appropriate infrastructure for knowledge management deployment and organizational culture is less favorable than other infrastructures. Given that these infrastructures are the foundation, the backbone, and indeed the driving forces behind the success of deploying knowledge management in organizations, there are significant improvements to be made to the myriad of knowledge management benefits such as opportunities for substantial savings. Focusing on the performance of individuals, enhancing collaboration, improving staff skills, making better decisions, enhancing innovation and improving the quality of service delivery by streamlining knowledge and distributing it appropriately across different sectors of the organization, managers and programs need to be strengthened. University of Medical Sciences spillovers special attention Findings and strategies to be adopted for this purpose because of the conditions of implementation of knowledge management projects will be faced with a high probability of failure.
Original Article
leila Namdarian; farhad shirani; Teimour Marjani
Abstract
Background and Objectives: In the era of knowledge-based economy, most of large firms in the private sector are actively following; acknowledging, and implementing knowledge management techniques and instruments in order to reach competitive advantage, guarantees their survival and qualification. Knowledge ...
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Background and Objectives: In the era of knowledge-based economy, most of large firms in the private sector are actively following; acknowledging, and implementing knowledge management techniques and instruments in order to reach competitive advantage, guarantees their survival and qualification. Knowledge management can foster the effectiveness and competitiveness of the government in the growingly changing environment. The public sectors and NGOs should face these challenges and take advantage of the opportunities resulting from globalization, knowledge-based economy and ICT development. However, lack of awareness of knowledge management is evident in the public sector. This might hinder the effective implementation of management actions in organizations for improving their performance. However, some public organizations have embraced the significance of knowledge management and offering services to the public and included knowledge management in their agenda. In Iran, the policy documents have highlighted knowledge management in the public sector. However, it is still an emerging area. Scrutinizing the experiences of various countries considering knowledge management in the public sector can highly contribute to its development in Iran. Hence, the current study primarily aimed to identify the factors contributing to the establishment of knowledge management in the public sector based on reviewing and exploring the knowledge management experiences in the public sector in various countries. To this end, the major research question was “What are the most important factors which should be considered for establishing knowledge management in the public sector?” Methodology: Taking into account that most knowledge management actions are included in research and development policies, to answer the research question, the nation-wide studies were divided into three categories, High R & D, Moderate R & D, and Low R & D according to the categorization presented by the European Union in 2007. As a result, such criteria as geographical location, percentage of R & D gross expenditures in GDP, their strategic importance, knowledge-based economy, and access to their information were taken into account in order to choose the countries for three R & D categories.In high R & D and with R & D budget over than 2.4% GDP, 6 countries were chosen from three groups including 3 countries from Europe (Swiss, Germany, and Austria), 2 countries from America (Canada, The United States), and 1 country from Asia (Korea),In moderate R & D and with R & D budget between 1.5% and 2.4% GDP, 2 countries were chosen from two groups including 1 country from Europe (England), and 1 country from Asia (China).In low R & D and with R & D budget less than 1.5% GDP, 4 countries were chosen from one group including 4 countries from Asia (India, Malaysia, Thailand, and Iran).The current study adopted a comparative qualitative approach and used framework analysis method. Having received the key concepts and ideas related to the research purposes, the researchers categorized them in a thematic framework. In order to form an analytical framework, the researchers used a continuous analysis for the qualitative data (coding summaries). Then, the experiences of the aforementioned countries were reviewed several times in order to discover the common meanings and patterns among their actions considering knowledge management. Afterwards, the actions related to knowledge management in the public sector were assigned codes and thereby, preliminary codes formed. Then, symmetrical codes were organized in the relevant thematic frameworks. The researchers finally defined, revised and analyzed the themes. Findings: According to the research findings, the most important components of knowledge management establishment in the public and governmental sectors are human resources and training, technological infrastructure, organizational culture, learning and innovation, and organizational structure. Discussion: According to the findings, those knowledge management dimensions which should be considered in the public sector were as follows: • Human resources and education- one of the most important components of knowledge management is human resources since it mainly relies on individuals’ tendency to share and reuse knowledge. • Technological substructures- establishing and using internal and external networks efficiently are important actions which should be considered by organizations. However, using internal and external networks can contribute to knowledge management when they are intended to serve this purpose. Otherwise, they would not be effective. • Organizational and leadership culture- sharing knowledge is not a natural action in public organizations and requires changing the individuals’ mental model. In order to change individuals’ attitudes and overcoming obstacles, knowledge sharing culture should be developed. • Learning and innovation- knowledge management plays a vital role in supporting organizational learning since effective sharing would facilitate collective wisdom. Moreover, there is a strong positive relationship between knowledge management, its human dimension and innovation. • Organizational structure- The structure of the public organization is traditional and entails numerous hierarchies. The term “silo” is probably the best choice for describing this structure. It mismatches the requirements of knowledge management. In other words, knowledge management requires an effective structure that is a motivating and productive structure.
Original Article
Mohammad Javad Ershadi; Reza Rajabali Beglou; Ehsan Najafi Arab
Abstract
Background and Objectives: One of the tools for improving and managing teachers' knowledge is using training and holding training courses. Understanding the importance and necessity of training and professional development of human resources becomes clear when we believe in the fact that the development ...
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Background and Objectives: One of the tools for improving and managing teachers' knowledge is using training and holding training courses. Understanding the importance and necessity of training and professional development of human resources becomes clear when we believe in the fact that the development of a country depends on the training of quality, qualified and up-to-date human resources with scientific information and scientific capabilities. In this paper, tried to study relationship among different dimensions of knowledge management and the role of this dimensions in improvement of teachers’ performance participating in educational courses. Dimensions of knowledge management such as the composition, distribution, maintenance and development of knowledge will help teachers prepare for the dynamics of macro-societal conditions in various cultural, economic, political and other field and have greater efficiency and effectiveness in the long time. The general purpose of this study is, investigate the relationship between different dimensions of knowledge management and the role of these dimensions in improving the performance of teachers participating in training courses. The specific objectives of this study were to determine the relationship between knowledge combinations and the efficiency, relationship between knowledge distribution and the efficiency, relationship between knowledge retention and the efficiency, and relationship between knowledge development and the efficiency of teachers participating in training courses. Methodology: This is an applied research in research categories based on goals. Survey data from questionnaire gathered from teachers in two, four, six & twelve restricts of Tehran province including different points based on geographical restrictions. Research variable comprises knowledge management including four components of knowledge development, knowledge preservation, knowledge distribution and knowledge combination; and teachers’ performance variables includes capabilities and skills of the teachers. Pearson and multivariate & step by step regression are the most important techniques of analysis in this research. The questionnaire had 33 questions that measure seven questions of knowledge composition, six questions of knowledge distribution, seven questions of knowledge retention, and thirteen questions of knowledge development. The questions measured on a five-point Likert scale from strongly disagree to strongly agree. Findings: The findings of study showed that there were significant relationship among dimensions of knowledge flow and barriers to knowledge flow and ranking with the maturity of knowledge management at the development level. Furthermore, relationship between dimension of managerial and individual factors at standardization level, as well as dimension of knowledge features and communication channels, optimization level, knowledge source dimension and at the level of innovation were significant. It should note that there were obstacles in the dimension of organizational factors and time factors. In addition, libraries profited from sustainable measures in the early stages of knowledge management maturity, but had more difficulties in the innovation stage than in the other stages. In other the words, findings showed that the relationship among knowledge combination, knowledge distribution, knowledge preservation and knowledge development dimensions and teachers’ development & improvement were all significant. The results depicted that knowledge preservation, knowledge distribution, knowledge combination and knowledge development had the highest importance in teachers’ performance. Totally, these variables are able to predict 49.5 percent of the changes in teachers’ capabilities. In addition, the regression’s results indicated that knowledge preservation, knowledge improvement, knowledge distribution and knowledge combination were the most important factors in the teachers’ skills. These variables can predict 48.8 percent of overall changes in teachers’ skills. According to Analytic Network Process (ANP) structure, and among knowledge management dimensions, knowledge combination allocated the highest weight in the effectiveness of teachers’ educational courses, and knowledge distribution, knowledge preservation and knowledge development followed respectively. Discussion: In the present study, researchers tried to investigate the relationship between the dimensions of knowledge management and teacher training courses. Providing appropriate facilities based on knowledge management in order to share knowledge among different teachers have significant impact on the final performance of teachers participating in different courses. Knowledge development, as the fourth dimension of knowledge management affects the performance of teachers participating in training courses. In the other words, providing empowerment to teachers in a way that allows them to generalize their training courses in different areas greatly increase teacher productivity. Assigning the task of knowledge acquisition from foreign sources to one of the teachers in different educational areas in order to register knowledge and experience, developing new knowledge base for educational courses, storing, selecting and organizing experiences from trainings and using encouragement and motivation systems to develop knowledge considered as the most important results of this research.
Original Article
ُSeyyedeh Sedigheh Taherzadeh Mousavian; Zahed Bigdeli
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The main purpose of the present study is to investigate the PIM level and the priority of PIM activities of Behbahan Technological University students. In this survey, the attitudes of students towards the priorities of the students regarding the seven components of Personal ...
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Background and Objectives: The main purpose of the present study is to investigate the PIM level and the priority of PIM activities of Behbahan Technological University students. In this survey, the attitudes of students towards the priorities of the students regarding the seven components of Personal Information Management (PIM) and the priorities of items within each component was determined and their activeness in each component was identified.
Methodology: This survey is of a descriptive-analytical type. Shekari’s (2015) questionnaire was used to collect the data. The reliability of the questionnaire was.089.The population of the survey includes 50 fourth-year undergraduates and 245 masters students, among whom based on Krejci and Morgan table (1970), 181 were selected through stratified random sampling method; 1 to 2.62, respectively. Thus, 50 undergraduate and 131 masters’ students were selected to participate in the survey. To collect the data, Shekari’s (2015) questionnaire was used; which was developed on Jonse’s Model; however, in this study, priority of activities regarding the seven components of Personal Information Management (PIM) were emphasized. The questionnaire consisted of two parts; the first part covered demographic information such as age, gender, and level of education (degree). The second part included 42 questions about “finding information; storage of information; information organization; reserving information; information security; evaluating information; and planning and conceptualization) measured by a Likert five-scale options(extremely high with the score of 5 to extremely low with the score of 1. Of 181 questionnaires distributed, 167 or %92 percent were returned among which 156 questionnaires completed by holders of Masters degree and 109 by holders of postgraduates and were included in the final analyses of the data gathered. Content validity of the questionnaire was approved by 3 teaching staff in the field of Knowledge and Information Science and reliability was determines as 0.89 and acceptable. The Quthe qustionnaires were personally distributed by the researcher. After completion. The questionnaires were collected. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics such as frequency, percent, mean, standard deviation, and also inferential statistics such as One-sample T-test and to rank the components of the variables, Friedman non-parametric ranking, as well as One-way Analysis of Varians (ANOVA) and Multivariate Analysis of variance (MANOVA) were used.
Findings: Students’level of PIM is fair (mean=3.21).The first priority was given to “keeping (reserving) electronic information” and “organization of paper documents” with rank means 2.63 and 3.15, respectively. The "security of information" was the second priority in both formats (rank means 3.60 and 3.56, respectively). “Storing information on peripheral devices” with 5.16, and “evaluation of paper documents” with rank mean 4.91, had the highest priorities.
Discussion: Students use both electronic and paper formats to manage their personal information, and the security of information is of significance in both formats. Regarding the”fair” level of students’ knowledge on PIM, it is recommended to teach PIM components to raise the awareness of students about PIM and to maximize their PIM skills. The results also showed that among the seven components of Information Management, only the component namely ”Information security” was significantly different from “Electronic personal information management” and “Paper personal information management,” (F= 1.946, df= 10, p< 0.05). This difference was in favor of “Electronic personal information management” and in support Shekari’s (2015) finding. It is seen that students are more concerned with “Electronic personal information management” and this type of information management is more important to them. Students are more active in: “Electronic personal information storage”, including storage in proper place, storage for future information needs, and storage on peripheral devices such as C.D., Cool Disk (Flash Memory) than any other activities in this regard. Concerning “Paper personal information management”, “the variable “information evaluation” including “ Sorting(classification) of paper documents, precise control of entry and exit of paper documents into and from the collection of paper personal information, and using explanatory notes to retrieve needed information, were mostly regarded. To sum, it could be said that because the Personal Information Management of students is at the “fair”, this concept and trend is not well recognized by students and most of them despite need to mastering this skill, imperfectly collect, store and organize their personal information and unaware suffer loss of valuable information. Thus, to aware students, training and promoting their performance will help them in this regard. The authors believe that specific actions must be taken to improve students’ personal information management skills as the astonishing ocean of the information available and created each second around the world, according to Simon (cited in Jones and Bruce, 2005) this very massive information causes poor attention and thus poor performance of the people.
Original Article
narges malakouti asl; mojtaba kafashan kakhki; MEHRI PARIROKH
Abstract
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Customer Knowledge Management can help libraries to make knowledge-based decisions, improve service quality, increase efficiency and competitive advantage. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the implementation of customer knowledge management ...
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Abstract
Background and Objectives: Customer Knowledge Management can help libraries to make knowledge-based decisions, improve service quality, increase efficiency and competitive advantage. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the implementation of customer knowledge management in the library of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad and provide suggestions for knowledge-based decision making to improve the quality of services, increase the efficiency and competitive advantage of academic libraries.
Methodology: As an applied research, descriptive and evaluative survey methods were used. The tool for collecting information in this research was the check list of customer knowledge management indicators and examples. For designing a checklist, after determining the indicators of customer knowledge management based on the exploratory study and interviewing the officials of different departments of the Information Center and central library of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, its sub-indexes and its examples were compiled and provided to the professors and experts to determine the reliability and validity. In order to check the reliability of the checklist, the percentage of agreement between the opinions expressed by the evaluators was reviewed, and for evaluating the Kappa coefficient, a few evaluators of Fleiss were used. The results showed that between the viewpoints of the evaluators for the knowledge about customer was more than 80%, for the knowledge from customer was more than 70%, and for the knowledge for customer, there was an agreement of about 90%, indicating a satisfactory reliability of the check list. The criterion of analysis and judgment in this log was the extent of these instances in the library studied. In this assessment, the existence of at least 50% of the cases is considered moderate and 75% of the instances in the library considered to be the best.
Findings: The studies showed that out of 19 instances designed for knowledge about customers, 8 of them were implemented in the library. Since the approximately half of the cases are available in the library, it can be said that the overall level of knowledge-based activities related to customer knowledge in the library is modest. Also, there were 12 of the 26 instances designed for knowledge from customers were implemented in the library that shows the average state of the management of this kind of knowledge in the library. Finally, out of 24 identified cases of knowledge for customers, 16 of them are running in the central library of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. Since it is 66% of the available instances, it can be said that knowledge for those in the library is above the average.
Discussion: The findings of the research showed that in general, the Information Center and central library of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in terms of implementation of customer knowledge management is in moderate condition. It seems that the management of any kind of customer knowledge in this library needs to be reviewed and more attention to reach the appropriate situation with the needs of the audience and the ideal conditions. According to the results of this study, it is suggested that university libraries to reach the desired level of knowledge management about customers consider how they use a variety of resources, the success rate of searches in databases and consider to record the abundance of research topics in dissertations and to record the information behavior of users in the use of library software. It is also recommended that take into account programs such as periodic surveys, questioning sessions, and the provision of conditions for receiving software feedback, and customer feedback, and considering their needs. In this regard, libraries can use creative suggestions to improve or expand their services by creating a circle of interested people or holding competitions for the use of intellectual hurricanes. On the other hand, academic libraries need to pay more attention to inform services. Indeed, the more attraction of students to libraries will happen when the more information about services and resources would have existed. Typically, libraries provide knowledge for their customer with the index of information about services and resources, such as the provision of printed and electronic manuals for the introduction of services; instructional manuals for bases and electronic resources; the use of the help librarian; the availability of information resources by guides and holding Provide educational tours.
