Interdependency of knowledge management and learning : the case of higher education institutions in Uganda

[摘要] Knowledge management and organisational learning have received much attention in recenttimes, owing to the increased recognition which has been accorded knowledge as a source oforganisational success and sustainability. Researchers and practitioners have becomeincreasingly interested in striving to understand how the two notions can be harnessed in order toattain that success. However, while it seems clear that both knowledge management andorganisational learning have the same goals, that is to nurture and harness knowledge resources,the concepts have tended, in the past, to be regarded independently of each other, with parallelstrategies having been implemented for each. Such an imposed separation has, at times, resultedin resource duplication and unsatisfactory outcomes for the organisations concerned.The current study examines the nature of the relationship between knowledge management andorganisational learning in higher educational institutions in Uganda, with the aim of providing aunified framework for understanding how the above-mentioned knowledge-based concepts relateto each other. A mixed methodology approach was applied to achieve the set objective.Quantitative data were collected using questionnaires from 270 respondents, employed at sixhigher educational institutions (comprising four universities, one management developmentinstitute, and one business school). Qualitative data, in contrast, were collected by means ofinterviews which were conducted with 13 key informants from three different institutions.Analytical techniques of correlation analysis, regression analysis and canonical correlationanalysis were applied to the quantitative data, while content analysis procedure was applied tothe qualitative data. Empirical evidence confirmed that knowledge management andorganisational learning have an interdependent relationship, which is manifested in two maindimensions, namely the institutional strategic focus and people (human resources) focus. Basedon such dimensions, the study proposes a re-conceptualisation of the linkage between knowledgemanagement and organisational learning, aimed at evolving the two concepts into a singleorganisational knowledge sustainability concept in higher educational institutions. Such a jointconcept emphasises the effective utilisation of existing knowledge, while, at the same time,focusing on the importance of continuous learning for acquiring new knowledge to meet futureorganisational knowledge requirements.In addition, empirical evidence from this study show that knowledge management practices playan important role in promoting learning at various levels of the organisation. The studyconcludes that knowledge management has not been fully integrated in the strategic agenda ofmost higher education institutions in Uganda and much internal knowledge is not properlyharnessed for the benefit of such institutions. The study recommends that, in the currentinformation age, higher education institutions in Uganda should prioritise both knowledgemanagement and organisational learning by implementing strategies aimed at exploiting existingknowledge, as well as at exploring new knowledge. Lastly, recommendations for future researchare presented.

[发布机构] University of the Witwatersrand