Knowledge sharing practices among researches and officers of the National Institutes of Health Malaysia

Abstract

Knowledge sharing is essential in the implementation of any knowledge management initiative. The real sharing required is between the employees and their co-workers. The actual success depends on individuals’ willingness to encourage and share their organisational knowledge through internal organisational social exchanges. The process requires the element of reciprocal arrangement and trust. It requires intra-team trust and intra-team relational bonds, leadership and also intercultural training that foster regular and frequent mutual cross-cultural exchange of ideas. The real advantage of knowledge management initiatives can be realised by truly empowering the employees. The study attempted to elicit enlightenment on the relationship and state of the knowledge sharing practices among the researchers and officers of the National Institutes of Health Malaysia (NIH). How they perceived the planned changes would lead to the improvement in the governance and organisational structure of the NIH. What are the possible driving forces capable of inspiring members of the NIH to embrace the culture of knowledge sharing. This study employed survey research method to obtain the perception of the researchers and officers of the NIH with regards to knowledge sharing practices. The questionnaire was distributed to 400 respondents from the six research institutes under NIH, namely Institute for Medical Research (IMR), Institute for Public Health (IPH), Network for Clinical Research Centres (CRC), Institute for Health Management (IHM), Institute for Health Systems Research (IHSR) and Institute for Health Promotion (IHP). Data from the survey was systematically arranged, tabulated and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The strength and relationship between the variables were examined using Pearson ‘r’ correlation coefficient to answer and test the research questions and hypotheses. Factor analysis was used as the exploratory technique to reduce and define factors influencing knowledge sharing practices in the NIH. The procedure was employed to confirm the six elements in the top management support and commitment factor, the six elements of the environment and infrastructure factor, and the four elements in the culture of knowledge sharing factor. The responses seem to indicate in essence, the arguments with regards to knowledge sharing always hinge within the context of encouraging and rewarding the practices of organisational knowledge sharing. The findings suggest four factors namely Environment and Infrastructure, Management Support, Culture and Technology as significant determinants in influencing the organisational knowledge sharing practices among the employees. Nonetheless, the study only deliberates the perceptual aspect of the issue from the individuals’ opinion and sentiment.