Universities have become the leading mechanisms of society for the continuous search of knowledge (Yaying, 2005), and have been utilised as transfer mechanisms to provide students with a knowledge base that enables them to function (Keramati & Azdeh, 2007).
Oakely (2003) illuminates that knowledge and educational institutions are related in two ways: firstly, the education system is about the creation and dissemination of knowledge;
and secondly, whatever happens within the system is in itself knowledge-based. Therefore, it is arguably correct to investigate knowledge management practices in higher educational institutions because much of the institutional happenings are knowledge based. It is therefore important to ensure that the knowledge management environment is conducive for effective knowledge management implementation. Knowledge management in universities requires creation of a common strategy with a wilful leadership that is ready to inculcate organizational values, build structures and processes and support technology, which will successfully encourage knowledge management to flourish. Knowledge management initiatives have faced challenges in universities as observed by Roth & Lee (2009) that
“higher education leaders face challenges on how to implement strategies for building culture, inculcating and promoting leadership, applying technology, and measuring results”
(p.23).
17
Knowledge management concepts have in recent times gained acceptance in higher education. Universities have realised the need to gain competitive advantage due to increased establishment of universities. Research in knowledge management implementation for universities have been recently explored, but has been limited. Most of the studies on universities have focused on knowledge sharing, knowledge management practices for teaching and learning, knowledge management for problem solving processes, knowledge management for improved university research output and knowledge management technologies in education. This research sought to add on the existing literature on knowledge management, especially in administration and on the processes that act on the knowledge.
Roth & Lee (2009) brings to the fore that higher education in the United States of America was faced with challenges. Their research revealed that universities faced a mass exodus of Baby Boomer retirees, rising college fees and reduced budget funding. They therefore suggested that Vice-Chancellors, Deans and Departmental chairs needed to carefully examine their human resources, organizational culture and the political environment to transform and move their institutions forward. It is only through knowledge management that such challenges could be met. There is need for well–integrated processes of acquiring, integrating and creating knowledge, to be implemented in universities to sail through ashore.
Sohail & Salina (2009) conducted research on knowledge management in universities and their concentration was on knowledge sharing. They indicated that knowledge is shared among faculty staff and through teaching and learning to students. Their research was on academic knowledge and did not assess university organizational knowledge. Another scholar, Daka (2010), also investigated the knowledge sharing culture among academicians in higher learning institutions in Zambia. The research revealed that a culture of knowledge sharing existed among academicians in higher learning institutions in Zambia. Daka (2010) explains that academicians engaged in frequent knowledge exchanges through meetings and person-to-person interactions. She identified institutional policies and knowledge sharing initiatives as major factors that influenced knowledge sharing, while lack of motivation and inadequate infrastructure hindered knowledge sharing. Daka’s (2010) research contributed a great deal to academic knowledge management in higher education.
Her work was helpful to this study as it provided some insight on knowledge management enablers in university environments. In as much as it is important to investigate academic knowledge in a university set-up, since academics is the sole purpose of university life, it is
18
also very vital to assess how organizational knowledge is managed and know how knowledge management factors act on the knowledge of intensive knowledge organizations such as universities. This was the purpose of this study.
Some scholars such as Chen & Burstein (2006); Sharimllah Devi, et’ al., (2009); Wedman &
Wang (2005) conducted research on university knowledge management and their findings revealed that most universities’ knowledge management concentrated on knowledge management practices for teaching and learning purposes. Their research did not pay particular attention to knowledge management practices in administration of universities. A gap, which this study sought to fill. Administration of universities requires efficient knowledge management strategies and practices because what is conducted in universities is knowledge intensive.
Hoveida, Shams & Hooshmand’s (2008) research in university knowledge management concentrated more on knowledge management for problem-solving processes. A rounded up appraisal of knowledge management practices would have been ideal in order to identify knowledge management practices that could be implemented to prevent certain organization problems from occurring. Other scholars such as Moss, Kubacki, Hersh &
Gunn (2007) have written on knowledge management to improve university research output. Their concentration had been on how knowledge management practices of knowledge creation, knowledge sharing and knowledge transfer could be of use to improve research output. Their findings are vital in knowledge management for universities’
academic improvement. However, their research need to be supplemented by investigating organizational knowledge management in administration of universities in order to find out how university administration can have competitive advantage over others. This study sought to supplement literature on knowledge management practices in universities with particular attention to administrative services.
Kebao & Junxun (2008) researched on the roles and effect of knowledge management technologies in education. Their findings revealed that knowledge management technologies in education institutions promoted knowledge sharing and knowledge capture.
However, they argue that the knowledge captured and shared is rarely utilised. This study fills the gap on assessment of the processes that act on the knowledge that is captured and shared in university administration.
19
Rowley (2000) in her work, “Is Higher Education Ready for Knowledge Management?”, posits that universities have a significant level of knowledge management activities and suggest that these should be recognised and used as foundations for further development, rather than re-inventing the wheel. She adds that universities and staff should recognise and respond to their changing role in a knowledge based society. Her main emphasis was that universities must manage consciously and explicitly, the processes associated with the creation of their knowledge assets, and recognize the value of their intellectual capital to their continuing role in society, and in a wider global marketplace for higher education.
Rowley’s eye-opening suggestion in her work is that although knowledge based organizations might seem to have the most gain through knowledge management, effective knowledge management may require a significant change in culture and values, organizational structures and reward systems.
Universities, in addition to providing knowledge to students, also manage existing university knowledge for future reference. It should be noted that an organization as a unit is represented by two (2) spheres of technical and administrative functions. The technical part of an organization is responsible for producing the product or services that justify the existence of the organization, while the administrative part is responsible for planning, controlling, coordinating organizational functioning, and linking the unit with the remainder of the organization. In relation to universities, the academic part is responsible for providing knowledge and conducting research and the administrative part is responsible for other infrastructure and support of the university. The focus of this research was on the administrative part of the University of Zambia, since nothing much has previously been done to find out how knowledge management in administration of the university has supported its existence over decades.