Adopting a Learning Organization Philosophy to Promote Knowledge Sharing in the University

Abstract

Higher education institutions, as with organizations in other sectors, are operating in an environment characterized by rapid change, complexity, competition and stakeholder demands. Therefore, these institutions are continuously exploring and adopting effective strategic approaches to survive and remaining competitive. The Learning Organization philosophy is one of the concepts that has been predominantly adopted by organizations in the private sector in order to remain competitive. The aim of this study was to investigate the applicability of a Learning Organization philosophy as a strategy to promote knowledge-sharing across functional boundaries in a university. The study adopted a survey design underpinned by a post-positivism philosophical worldview. Hence, a cross-sectional design was adopted. Stratified simple random sampling was used to select participants from a population of employees at a University of Technology. The data collection instrument used in the study was a self-administered questionnaire. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the data. Overall, the findings of the study revealed that the adoption of a Learning Organization philosophy would promote knowledge-sharing beyond functional boundaries in Universities of Technology. Knowledge in an organizational context is regarded as a strategic asset and the Learning Organization is regarded as a philosophy that fosters knowledge creation and sharing. It is through learning that knowledge is created, and knowledge becomes useful when it is shared. Therefore, this study provides organizations, especially Universities of Technology, with necessary insights into the adoption of a Learning Organization philosophy as a strategy to promote knowledge-sharing beyond functional boundaries.