The Successful Elements on Knowledge Sharing Constructed Social Media among Academic Staff

Abstract

This paper aims to explore influencing organizational elements that inspire social media based on knowledge sharing among academic staff in Malaysian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Nowadays, alongside the emergence of Information Communication and Technology (ICT), knowledge sharing could be considered essential in educational institutions, regarding their effectiveness and longer-term survival. Nonetheless, to certify the success of knowledge sharing within Higher Education Institutes (HEIs), there is a need to understand the role of knowledge-sharing activities in the life of these communities. Social media have emerged as essential forums for locating, connecting, collaborating, and sharing ideas among individuals. However, only limited research has addressed the role of social media in facilitating knowledge sharing between academic staff. This research adopted a qualitative approach to understanding the subject matter in depth. Data were gathered from thirty-two academic staff members from two public and two private universities. The findings resulted in the identification of seven key themes, namely: organizational structure, technology infrastructure, organizational strategy, organizational culture, management support, people and skills, which all need to be considered as influential elements for social media.

Keywords

• knowledge sharing
• social media
• academic staff