Current Status and Factors Affecting Knowledge Sharing Practices among Health Professionals in Hiwot Fana Specialized University Hospital in Ethiopia

Endris Mamomulate,Lawrence Abraham Gojeh

doi:10.13189/ujm.2020.080405

Abstract

Knowledge sharing is about sharing relevant task (skills, experiences) among team members or with other people and making the shared knowledge reusable. Hence, the objective of this study was to assess the current status and factors affecting knowledge sharing practices among health professionals in Hiwot Fana Specialize University Hospital in Ethiopia. A Cross-sectional research method with questionnaire was employed for the study. The sample size was 152 categories of health professionals that were: 46 nurses, 18 doctors, 15 radiologists, 26 laboratory technologists, 22 health officers and 26 pharmacists; selected from a population of 268 professionals in the hospital. The sampling technique was stratified simple random sampling. The results showed that the current status of Knowledge Sharing practices by all categories of health professionals was 'high' in areas such as: formal training programs and workshops to share knowledge (3.43); individuals' pleasure to share their know-how, information, working experience and knowledge to colleagues voluntarily (3.81); individuals' pleasure to share freely information and knowledge that improves the hospital performance (4.00) and colleagues awareness of the importance of knowledge sharing in the hospital (3.90). Knowledge sharing was 'very low' based on the non-availability of motivational scheme in the hospital to motivate knowledge sharing (1.74) but 'low' on staffs feeling of motivation to share knowledge in the hospital (2.44). However, there were factors that affected knowledge sharing practices, which included: lack of willingness by colleagues to share their information with other colleagues at all times; lack of awareness on the importance of knowledge sharing in the day- to- day work and lack of intrinsic motivation that staff would gain new ideas, technologies skills or techniques by sharing knowledge. The study concludes that there were variations in the opinions of the categories of health professionals on the current status and factors affecting knowledge sharing practices in the hospital.

Highlights

In today’s global economy, knowledge is essential in everyday work
Knowledge transfer on the other hand is placed on a continuum that is passed from one generation to another
[22] on status of knowledge sharing (KS) among health professionals indicated that the vast majority of the respondents (89%) said that there was no KS strategy in Assosa Hospital. 73% of the respondents disagreed on healthcare workers sharing their knowledge, work experience and ideas through group discussions, review meetings frequently and the participants (59%) said there was no motivational scheme in hospital for KS practices

Summary

Introduction

In today’s global economy, knowledge is essential in everyday work. Knowledge is skills and practices, which is found in people, organizations and embedded in different artifacts, procedures; as well as stored in different media. Organizational knowledge is primarily embedded in the minds of the employees (called tacit knowledge) and in the activities, procedures, routines, processes and norms of the organization (known as explicit knowledge) [9] The sharing of both tacit and explicit knowledge is very important and essential for the competitiveness of any business organization including healthcare institutions. Considering Cheng and Waiet.al studies it would be reasonable to note that individual and organizational factors can play a major role in knowledge sharing in organizations. 73% of the respondents disagreed on healthcare workers sharing their knowledge, work experience and ideas through group discussions, review meetings frequently and the participants (59%) said there was no motivational scheme in hospital for KS practices. KS practices among different healthcare sectors are being acknowledged globally, it is poorly practiced [7]

Methodology

Response Rate

Current Status of Knowledge Sharing Practices at HFSUH

Lack of organizational structure in the hospital knowledge sharing