Factors affecting knowledge sharing in the radiotherapy department: the radiation physics team as a community of practice

2010 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Armoogum ◽  
M. Buchgeister
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Peer Group ◽  
Journal Club ◽  
Management Competencies ◽  
Radiation Physics ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Radiotherapy Physics

AbstractWe put forward the concept of the radiotherapy physics team as a community of practice (COP). Radiotherapy physicists are required to continuously develop their scientific, computational and management competencies. Much of this knowledge is gained through peer-to-peer interaction in a structured environment, enabling the individual to increase their tacit knowledge. Such interaction among peers will allow issues to be framed within their context, information to be shared, decisions to be made and protocols to be developed. The structure that allows physicists to create, share and manage knowledge conforms to the accepted definition of a COP. By implementing the methods of literature review and peer group survey, we have investigated the applicability of the concept of a radiotherapy physics COP. The results of the survey have shown a generally positive medical physicist training outlook in the UK and Germany, but highlighted certain areas where improvement is needed. Our surveys have shown that while most trainees are adequately supported, there are two areas where improvements can easily be made. Spatial factors, such as departmental geography, may not always be conducive to knowledge sharing but can readily be altered in most cases. The paucity of departmental seminars and journal club meetings has been highlighted as a problem at some training centres.

Designing, Setting Up, and Facilitating a Knowledge Sharing Virtual Community of Practice, between Social Work Lecturers in the UK and India

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 22-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Williams
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Online Discussions ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Virtual Community Of Practice ◽  
One Year ◽  
The Uk

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of a virtual Community of Practice (vCoP) which was developed between social work lecturers in two University settings – one in the UK and the other in India. The design and methodology draws on qualitative data collected from online discussions and semi-structured questionnaires arising from the involvement of twelve participants over a one year period. An Action Research method was adopted which allowed the shift of power from the designer to the participants over the year. This paper illustrates how a vCoP can be an ideal tool to aid communication and knowledge sharing between universities within an international context. It adds value by increasing the knowledge of participant lecturers to more than local perspectives and gives a greater understanding of social work from an international, cross-country, perspective. Although one of the limitations is that this is a small scale study, it does raise important considerations necessary for ensuring the success for vCoP’s and offers a model to aid successful online collaboration as well as important messages for those who are developing online courses and teaching within an international environment. It further gives insight into adopting Action Research as a research methodology that can be usefully used for online collaborative research.

Organizational dynamics: exploring the factors affecting knowledge sharing behavior

Kybernetes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 165-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nóra Obermayer ◽  
Viktoria Erika Toth
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Organizational Characteristics ◽  
Organizational Dynamics ◽  
Quantitative Methodology ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Effective Manner ◽  
The Individual

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify the individual and organizational factors that influence knowledge sharing (KS) behavior within Hungarian organizations. Design/methodology/approach The data were obtained from 238 completed questionnaires collected via the LimeSurvey system. The analysis is based on applied quantitative methodology, both descriptive and inferential statistics were used. The research investigated the relationships between individual and organizational characteristics and the KS behavior at individual and global levels. Findings Among individual factors, significant relationships have been identified regarding the generation and position of individuals, and KS behavior, while gender and education do not seem to play a significant role. With respect to organizational factors, the size of the organization and the tenure of individuals are found to be significant. Research limitations/implications The results of the analysis are limited because the data set was not large enough to investigate inter- and intra-industry variability. Practical implications The outcome of this research can support the design of managerial and organizational processes and incentives that will potentially facilitate KS in a more efficient and effective manner. Such improved KS is likely to improve the overall performance of knowledge-intensive organizations. Originality/value The original value of this research is that individual and organizational characteristics have been identified that influence KS behavior. The study focuses on a single country, Hungary, and provides relevant insight into the organizational dynamics of a specific national context.

scholarly journals Individual language management and language strategies of Hungarian students in Bratislava

2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 351-372
Author(s):  
Lucia Molnár Satinská
Keyword(s):  
Minority Students ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Peer Group ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Language Management ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Language Problems ◽  
Language Strategies ◽  
The Individual

Abstract The paper focuses on the individual language management of Hungarian minority students from Southern Slovakia who migrated to study at university in the capital city of Slovakia, Bratislava. It presents language strategies of five students, based on their language biographies. Each student was interviewed three times during their first three years of study. The language problems of these students include maintaining their mother tongue and improving their skills in Slovak as well as balancing between the two languages in various spheres of life. Factors affecting the language use of the students are family, institutions, peer group and overcoming fear. The students deal with their everyday multilingualism according to several models, which can be described on the axis between Hungarian only to Slovak only, but the students mostly find themselves somewhere in between the two, depending on various spheres (family, university, jobs, peers).

Communities fo Practice as Facilitators of Knowledge Exchange

2011 ◽  
pp. 1683-1689
Author(s):  
Scott Paquette
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Knowledge Exchange ◽  
Work Experiences ◽  
Similar Work ◽  
Common Purpose ◽  
The Creation ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Right

For knowledge to create value in an organization, whether tacit or explicit, it must have the ability to be shared among employees. This intentional (or in some instances unintentional) flow of knowledge can become the driver for organizational learning. When examining knowledge sharing, it is important to consider the context in which the knowledge is developed, as the community in which the individual is learning can affect any knowledge that is created. Organizational learning is impacted by individuals, groups, and the organization as a whole, and how these three levels are linked by social processes (Crossan, Lane & White, 1999). However, it is very difficult to create the right social environment to produce optimum knowledge sharing and learning. Sharing knowledge is an ‘unnatural act’, and therefore firms must strive to create the right environment and means to assist employees in overcoming knowledge flow barriers (Ruppel & Harrington, 2001). Previous research has identified communities of practice as a hub for sharing knowledge within an organization (Brown & Duguid, 1991; Ellis, 1998; Hildreth & Kimble, 1999). The ability of a community of practice to create a friendly environment for individuals with similar interests and problems to discuss a common subject matter encourages the transfer and creation of new knowledge. Practitioners with similar work experiences tend to be drawn to communities, and from this a common purpose to share knowledge and experience arises (Wenger, 1998). Blackler (1995) argues that the creation and deployment of knowledge is inseparable from activity, and different contexts manifest in the form of knowledge boundaries. A community of practice can help individuals remove this boundary through the creation of a common context that links different experiential knowledge in an environment suited for knowledge exchange.

Factors Affecting Knowledge Sharing Practice in Malaysia

2010 ◽  
pp. 157-170
Author(s):  
Zawiyah Mohd Yusof ◽  
Mohd Bakhari Ismail
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
No Value ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Entire Study ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
The Individual ◽  
New Strategies

The need for the adoption of knowledge management practice, particularly knowledge sharing is pressing in any modern organisation today in order to ensure their survival in this highly competitive world. It is evidence that knowledge sharing has given untold advantages to organisations such as the ability to make good decisions and formulate new strategies. This in turn enables organisations to remain competitive in their respective industry. Knowledge bears no value unless it is shared and well disseminated, particularly among workers within the organisation. Despite its advantages, knowledge sharing seems to be taken lightly by many organisations in Malaysia and only a few studies have been carried out. Therefore, the authors take an initiative to identify factors affecting knowledge sharing in Malaysian public sector. An extensive literature review has been conducted in this area in order to determine such factors. Synthesizing from the literatures, this chapter proposes a theoretical framework that takes into consideration the individual, organizational and technological dimensions that might affect knowledge sharing practise in Malaysian public sector. It is not the intention of this chapter to include the findings of this study and therefore the current study only develops a framework based on literature review. The findings of the study will be reported upon completion of the entire study.

Factors Affecting Consumer Adoption of Broadband in Developing Countries

2008 ◽  
pp. 285-295
Author(s):  
Yogesk K. Dwivedi
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Developing Nations ◽  
Division I ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Uk

This chapter empirically examines factors affecting the adoption of broadband in the developing countries of Bangladesh and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). In the case of Bangladesh, attitudinal, normative, and control factors—discussed in the UK case study in Division I of this book—were used and adapted in order to provide insights about broadband adopters and non-adopters within the developing nations. In order to examine the adoption of broadband in the KSA, a number of variables were employed, which also included some of the variables discussed in the UK case study in Division I. As the Internet was introduced comparatively late in Bangladesh (in 1996), in early 2004 the total penetration of Internet within the country was only 0.25 percent (Totel, 2004). It was suggested that the major obstacles associated with low Internet penetration were the low economic status and still-developing infrastructure within the country (Totel, 2004). A recent media report further emphasised that “Bangladesh is not anywhere on the global broadband map, but it is doing its best to get online. Local service provider, DNS SatComm has started deploying fixed wireless gear from Cambridge Broadband and will offer access to government offices, and other commercial entities” (Malik, 2005). It has also been suggested that Internet connection is slow and costly and not affordable by the general public (Hossain, 2004). Given the situations of Bangladesh in terms of demography, telecommunication infrastructure, and affordability of Internet by people, it was felt that understanding factors including cost of Internet access and subscription affecting consumer adoption might help to encourage further diffusion of high speed Internet. In the KSA, the Internet has taken some time to diffuse and is therefore seen as a relatively new technology. The KSA first started with dial up connections and then moved on to adopt broadband and satellite connections to provide better data communication services to its citizens. However, even with the availability of broadband technology, the rate of adoption is considered to be relatively poor in comparison to other developed countries such as the UK, as well as newly industrialised leading broadband users, such as South Korea (Oh et al., 2003). This poor connectivity is often claimed to be caused by website filtration in the region. Consequently, broadband adoption has been slower than expected in the region. Furthermore, a survey of existing literature on broadband adoption suggests that although both macro and micro level studies were conducted in order to understand the deployment of broadband in the developed world and leading countries such as South Korea, none of these studies focus upon developing countries, such as Bangladesh and the KSA. Although this could be attributed to the slow infrastructure development and low rate of adoption within the two countries, this has provided the motivation for undertaking exploratory research in order to develop an understanding of the perceptions of consumers regarding broadband adoption in these developing nations. Thus, this chapter aims to explore the reasons for the slow adoption of broadband in Bangladesh and the KSA by examining the individual level factors affecting broadband uptake in both cases. The research will thereby seek to adapt the individual level factors from the UK case study (Division I) and attempt to examine if and why the adapted factors affect consumers’ attitudes towards the adoption of broadband in the countries. The chapter begins with a brief discussion of the theoretical basis and variables employed to examine broadband adoption. This is followed by a brief discussion of the utilized research methods. The findings are then presented and discussed. Finally, a conclusion to the chapter is provided.

Development of an Interview Schedule for Assessing Factors Influencing Educational Outcome in Students with Schizophrenia

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s785-s786 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Chattopadhyay ◽  
C.N. Kumar ◽  
J. Thirthalli ◽  
U. Mehta ◽  
S. Thanapal
Keyword(s):  
Educational Achievement ◽  
Peer Group ◽  
Symptom Control ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Educational Outcome ◽  
Psychosocial Burden ◽  
Interview Schedule ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Competing Interest ◽  
The Individual

IntroductionSchizophrenia is a severe mental disorder with a relatively high toll on the quality of life of the patient and caregiver. It has a high financial, emotional and psychosocial burden. Surprisingly, optimum academic and educational outcomes in individuals with schizophrenia have been a neglected area of research and service provision.ObjectivesDevelopment of an interview schedule assessing the helpful and hindering factors affecting the educational attainment in persons with schizophrenia.MethodsTwenty-one participant were recruited (11 patients and 10 caregivers) from August 2014 to 2015 using purposive sampling and interviewed in a semi-structured qualitative fashion. Patients were between 16–25 years of age. Data collection and interpretation continued iteratively till saturation of factors was achieved. The list of factors (hindering/helping) was compiled and sent to a panel of 14 experts. They rated the schedule and the individual factors on a Likert scale. Reliability and validity parameters were tested and the final schedule was formulated.ResultsThe final schedule contained 17 hindering and 18 helping factors. Detailed instructions to the interviewer for administration of the schedule are included. The factors have been further subdivided into illness related and illness unrelated. Some of the major hindering factors were symptoms of illness, medication side effects, delay in treatment initiation, perceived conflict in parents, lack of motivation. The major helpful factors were adequate symptom control, withholding inpatient care, spirituality, and peer group acceptance.ConclusionsService provisions for ensuring optimal educational achievement can be formulated by assessing the felt needs and hindrances of patients and their caregivers.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

New Perspectives on Rewards and Knowledge Sharing

2011 ◽  
pp. 2811-2816
Author(s):  
Gee-Woo ("Gilbert") Bock ◽  
Chen Way Siew ◽  
Young-Gul Kim
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Reasoned Action ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Selfish Behavior ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Knowledge Sharing Behavior ◽  
The One ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Sharing Behavior

Of the 260 responses from a survey of European multinationals, 94% believed that knowledge management requires employees to share what they know with others within the organization (Murray, 1999). Among the processes of knowledge management—creation, sharing, utilization and accumulation of knowledge—sharing is what differentiates organizational knowledge management from individual learning or knowledge acquisition. However, the process of sharing knowledge is often unnatural to many. Individuals will not share knowledge that is regarded to be of high value and importance. In fact, the natural tendency for individuals is to hoard knowledge or look suspiciously at the knowledge of others. Thus, incentive schemes—where employees receive incentives as a form of compensation for their contributions—are common programs in many organizations. Such schemes have met their fair share of success as well as failure in the field of knowledge management. On the one hand, the carrot and stick principle used in Siemens’ ShareNet project turned out to be a success (Ewing & Keenan, 2001). On the other hand, the redemption points used in Samsung Life Insurance’s Knowledge Mileage Program only resulted in the increasingly selfish behavior of its employees (Hyoung & Moon, 2002). Furthermore, despite the plethora of research on factors affecting knowledge sharing behavior, little concerns discovering effective ways to encourage individuals to voluntarily share their knowledge. Early studies on knowledge management began by trying to discover key factors pertaining to knowledge management in general, instead of knowledge sharing in particular, as summarized in Table 1. Although research on knowledge sharing started around the mid 1990s, it focused mainly on knowledge sharing at the group or organizational level in spite of the fact that knowledge itself actually originates from the individual. Even at the group or organizational level, most studies dealt with a specific knowledge type, such as best practices (Szulanski, 1996) or a specific context, such as between dispersed teams (Tsai, 2002). In addition, factors such as trust, willingness to share, information about the knowledge holder, and the level of codification of knowledge were considered in abstract. Although these factors are valuable, they require further empirical research before they could be used to explain the individual’s fundamental motivation to share knowledge. Thus, this study aims to develop an understanding of the factors that support or constrain the individual’s knowledge sharing behavior in the organization, with a special interest in the role of rewards. This is done according to Fishbein and Ajzen’s (1975) Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), a widely accepted social psychology model that is used to explain almost any human behavior (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980).

Communities fo Practice as Facilitators of Knowledge Exchange

2011 ◽  
pp. 68-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Paquette
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Knowledge Exchange ◽  
Work Experiences ◽  
Similar Work ◽  
Common Purpose ◽  
The Creation ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Right

For knowledge to create value in an organization, whether tacit or explicit, it must have the ability to be shared among employees. This intentional (or in some instances unintentional) flow of knowledge can become the driver for organizational learning. When examining knowledge sharing, it is important to consider the context in which the knowledge is developed, as the community in which the individual is learning can affect any knowledge that is created. Organizational learning is impacted by individuals, groups, and the organization as a whole, and how these three levels are linked by social processes (Crossan, Lane & White, 1999). However, it is very difficult to create the right social environment to produce optimum knowledge sharing and learning. Sharing knowledge is an ‘unnatural act’, and therefore firms must strive to create the right environment and means to assist employees in overcoming knowledge flow barriers (Ruppel & Harrington, 2001). Previous research has identified communities of practice as a hub for sharing knowledge within an organization (Brown & Duguid, 1991; Ellis, 1998; Hildreth & Kimble, 1999). The ability of a community of practice to create a friendly environment for individuals with similar interests and problems to discuss a common subject matter encourages the transfer and creation of new knowledge. Practitioners with similar work experiences tend to be drawn to communities, and from this a common purpose to share knowledge and experience arises (Wenger, 1998). Blackler (1995) argues that the creation and deployment of knowledge is inseparable from activity, and different contexts manifest in the form of knowledge boundaries. A community of practice can help individuals remove this boundary through the creation of a common context that links different experiential knowledge in an environment suited for knowledge exchange.

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