Exploring the effects of task characteristics on knowledge sharing in libraries

Relationship between Organizational Culture and Knowledge Sharing: A Study of University Librarians

This paper aims to examine how librarians construe organizational culture based on employees’ satisfaction, good leadership, and organizational support with knowledge sharing practices relationships. The quantitative research method, using a structured questionnaire comprised of three constructs of Organizational Culture (OC), including employees’ satisfaction, good leadership, and organizational support, and six constructs of Knowledge Sharing (KS) (innovation, collaboration, communication channel, trust, loyalty, and ethics), was considered as the most suitable for this study. Correlation research design and Pearson correlation test were used for examining the relationships between OC and KS with respect to academic librarians. The findings disclosed significant relationships between OC and KS among the study participants. Organizational support followed by good leadership style and employees’ satisfaction are the strong predictors of knowledge sharing practices in the context of this study. This study has some practical implications for academic library administrators to consider the role of effective organizational culture in promoting knowledge sharing practices among LIS professionals. This paper is the first attempt to explore the relationship between OC and KS in library perspective.

Students’ perceptual quality standards for judging knowledge quality: Development and validation of a perceived e-learning knowledge quality scale

This study examines the factors contributing towards eLearning knowledge quality based on students’ perspective and presents a 5-dimensional scale to evaluate knowledge quality (KQ). It is an extension of our previously published research which had proposed a novel conceptual KQ model. In this paper, we attempt to quantify knowledge quality (KQ), as opposed to adapting data quality (DQ) and information quality (IQ) measurement tools. A qualitative-quantitative sequential mixed-method design was used for the instrument validation. Data was collected at two levels, undergraduate and postgraduate respectively. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the 5 dimensional second-order perceived eLearning KQ model – comprising of 33 sub-dimensions. The scale is inclusive of five key dimensions (Intrinsic KQ, Contextual KQ, Representational KQ, Accessible KQ, and Actionable KQ) as measures of quality of knowledge gained from eLearning content. The proposed dimensions are the benchmarks that provide insight to educators and administrators in developing and enhancing e-learning content.

Tacit knowledge sharing among library colleagues: a pilot study

Purpose

This study aims to explore the nature of tacit knowledge (TK) sharing among library colleagues, with a focus on the characteristics of TK and contextual factors such as organizational culture or the mentor/mentee relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a critical incident approach, participants self-selected based on pre-established criteria to report knowledge sharing incidents between colleagues at either an in-person or virtual reference desk. Subsequent semi-structured interviews were transcribed from recordings and coded for thematic elements.

Findings

Three thematic areas emerged. First are the influence of organizational culture and the importance of trust on knowledge sharing behavior. Second, the value of teamwork and the significance of mentor/mentee roles surface as significant drivers of TK exchange. Last but not least is a better understanding of the nature of TK, as it relates to types of knowledge and characterizations of experience and expertise.

Research limitations/implications

The relatively small sample size nevertheless revealed some important findings that contribute to the understanding of the role of TK sharing in libraries.

Originality/value

The value of knowledge sharing in libraries is not well understood. This study demonstrates the value on several levels, including the influence of culture and trust, and the power of mentoring to harness TK held by experts. The proposed Tacit Knowledge Alignment Framework contributes to the understanding of the nature of TK in libraries. These findings begin to fill a research gap by furthering our understanding of TK and informing future retention efforts that are lacking in many libraries.

Knowledge quality

This paper presents the theoretical underpinnings and measures employed in the assessment of knowledge quality. It aims to identify a conceptual and operational measure of knowledge quality within the context of an e-learning environment. The review is conducted in two phases. First, the conceptual and operational measures of knowledge quality are explained based on the epistemic concept of the essence of knowledge and the knowledge hierarchy structure. Next, a detailed analysis of the dimensions measuring data quality (DQ), information quality (IQ), and knowledge quality (KQ) in 33 studies ranging from research on information systems (IS), to knowledge and information management, e-learning, and data warehouses is presented. Minimal biased methods were used to acquire the literature for this review. The findings reveal that there is an evident lack of research in measuring KQ based on a definite conceptual understanding of the hierarchical structure of knowledge. Furthermore, researchers’ repeated use of the DQ and IQ dimensions to measure KQ has failed to develop a reliable KQ measure. Subsequently, an operational view of KQ is proposed with six distinct dimensions: Adaptable, Applicable, Expandable, True, Innovative, and Justified. This proposed KQ model that is based on the hierarchical structure of knowledge; it identifies the dimensions distinct to the KQ construct. It may be useful for the conceptualization and measure of KQ in various information environments, including e-learning and IS. The proposed model provides a more explicit way to conceptualize and measure the KQ construct by acknowledging that it is an extension of the IQ construct but with distinct and unique dimensions.