Breaking Silos to Foster Knowledge Sharing in Universities: A Systems Thinking Perspective

Abstract

Universities operate in an environment characterized by rapid change, globalization and other unpredictable complex factors. These institutions play a critical role in the socio-economic development of society. Knowledge has been identified as a strategic resource for private and public organizations to gain competitive advantage. Furthermore, universities are under pressure to respond to the needs of their diverse stakeholders. Hence, it is critical to create a conducive environment to foster Knowledge Sharing beyond functional boundaries in these institutions. However, functional silo mentality has been identified as a major factor that encumbers Knowledge Sharing in organizations, including universities of technology. The purpose of the study was to explore the applicability of the Systems Thinking concept in the context of fostering Knowledge Sharing in Universities of Technology. Previous research investigated this phenomenon from a different perspective, whilst this study provides a University of Technology context. The study adopted a qualitative research methodology underpinned by a constructivism philosophical worldview. Qualitative data was collected from the employees of two universities of technology through semi-structured interviews. Participants in the study were purposively selected. NVivo software was used for data analysis. The study provides theoretical perspectives and practical insights for applying Systems Thinking to foster Knowledge Sharing beyond functional boundaries in organizations and Universities of Technology. Overall, the results of the study indicated that participants were positive that adopting Systems Thinking would be a strategic choice to institutionalize Knowledge Sharing in universities of technology. One of the limitations of this study was that data was collected from only two selected public universities of technology. This provides an opportunity for future research to consider collecting data from more than two universities of technology to investigate this phenomenon.