Knowledge management practices in Zambian higher education : an exploratory study of three public universities

[摘要] ENGLISH SUMMARY : The knowledge economy forced organisations to rethink the nature of their resources andcapability. Increasingly organisations are considering knowledge as a key resource for navigating uncertainty and competing. The field of knowledge management (KM) emerged to help organisations to leverage their organizational knowledge. The first step in this endeavor is to conduct a knowledge management assessment.Higher Education Institutions have not been spared the external pressure to adapt in this new context. One would think that, since higher education deals with knowledge transmission as acore function, these organisations would be at the forefront of knowledge management. The opposite is however true and knowledge management practices are still resisted by academictraditions in universities. The thesis explores the state of knowledge management in higher education institutions in Zambia using a validated knowledge management assessment instrument, called the knowledge vigilance survey, adapted for university contexts. The goal is to uncover the perceptions of managers in these institutions with regard to knowledge management practices, existing knowledge gaps, and the existing knowledge culture. This is achieved by a quantitative research design aimed at the three largest universities in Zambia. A questionnaire was used to survey selected participants and the results wereinterpreted according to a knowledge management capability assessment tool to determine the state of knowledge management at the three universities under study. A purposive samplesize of 82 leaders, of which 55 responses were generated, at executive and managerial level of the University of Zambia, The Copperbelt University and Mulungushi University were selected out of a proposed target population of 103.The findings reveal minor differences between the three universities, but on the whole low scores were recorded for most knowledge management practices at all three universities. Knowledge management at all three universities is in a basic or rudimentary state, which mayhinder these institutions from effectively leveraging their knowledge. To improve their situation these institutions should consider introducing explicit knowledge management policies and strategies and cultural change interventions like incentives, communication, and training and mentoring.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University