Knowledge Sharing in Academic Institutions: a Study of Multimedia University Malaysia

Abstract

Recent developments have witnessed the emergence of a new economy where knowledge has become a valuable resource and asset. The dynamism of the new economy requires us to not only quickly create knowledge, but also to acquire and apply knowledge quickly. One possible way to do so is to share our knowledge effectively. Knowledge sharing is envisaged as a natural activity of the academic institutions as the number of seminars, conferences and publications by academics is far exceeding any other profession, signifying the eagerness of academics to share knowledge. However, instead of knowledge sharing, "knowledge hoarding" could be more prevalent in academic institutions. This paper examines knowledge sharing behavior among academics in a private university in Malaysia. Factors affecting the willingness to share knowledge, broadly classified as organizational, individual and technology factors, are examined. The overall findings revealed that incentive systems and personal expectation are the two key factors in driving academics to engage in knowledge sharing activity. "Forced" participation is not an effective policy in cultivating sharing behavior among academics.