Analysis of Factors Affecting Knowledge Sharing and Its Consequences in the SHAD Network as a Virtual Community of Practice Based on Chen and Hung's Model: A Case Study of Elementary School Teachers in Khorramabad City

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Department of Knowledge and Information Science, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran

2 PhD., Student, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.

3 PhD., Student, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran.

Abstract

Purpose: Knowledge sharing is a crucial process that adds value to organizational strategy.
It plays an essential role in facilitating the achievement of organizational goals, supporting organizational interests, sustaining success, fostering organizational learning, enhancing performance, creating a knowledge-based competitive advantage, and ultimately benefiting the community.
A collaborative community in the context of cyberspace is a virtual professional network that unites individuals with shared expertise in a specific field. This environment fosters knowledge sharing, enhances the professional skills of its members, provides advanced insights, and helps address career challenges. Accordingly, this study aims to analyze the factors influencing knowledge sharing and
its consequences within the Shad Network, a virtual collaborative community for elementary school teachers in Khorramabad city.
Method: This research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-correlational in terms of data collection and structural equation type. The conceptual framework of this study is based on the conceptual model presented in Chen and Hong's (2010) research. The research population includes 2208 elementary school teachers in Khorramabad city, of which 327 were selected as the research sample using the Krejci and Morgan table using stratified random sampling. Data collection was carried out using a questionnaire. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS and SmartPLS software.
Findings: Analysis of the demographic information of the respondents showed that 237 (72.48%) of the respondents were female and 90 (27.52%) of the respondents were male. In terms of educational qualifications, 199 (60.86%) had a bachelor's degree, 118 (36.08%) had a master's degree, 7 (2.14%) had a doctorate, and three (0.92%) had an associate's degree. The descriptive index analysis of the research variables showed that the average of each of the variables of reciprocity rule, interpersonal trust, self-efficacy in knowledge sharing, perceived relative advantage, knowledge donation behavior, knowledge collection behavior, perceived compatibility, knowledge use, and knowledge promotion are 4.268, 3.882, 4.104, 4.358, 4.336, 2.900, 4.084, 4, and 3.739, respectively. The results of the structural equations of the research showed that the variables of interpersonal trust (B=0.129); perceived relative advantage (B=0.152); self-efficacy in knowledge sharing (B=0.190), and reciprocity rule (B=0.251) have a significant effect on teachers' knowledge donation behavior. Also, the variable of perceived relative advantage (B=0.449) has a significant effect on knowledge collection behavior. Teachers' knowledge donation behavior has resulted in knowledge use (B=0.423). Also, three variables of knowledge collection behavior (B=0.197); knowledge use (B=0.363) and knowledge donation behavior (B=0.411) have a significant effect on the community promotion variable.
Conclusion: Considering the crucial role of primary school teachers in educating students, it is essential to plan for the optimal utilization of their specialized knowledge and experiences, as they represent a vital pillar of the education system. Additionally, it is recommended that the importance
of knowledge sharing be clearly communicated to teachers. By doing so, a culture of knowledge exchange will gradually be fostered among teachers. This means that educators will come to view knowledge sharing and acquisition as valuable and will be dedicated to it. Consequently, they will engage in exchanges driven by intrinsic motivation and utilize knowledge sharing as a tool for their own professional development. As a result, teachers will continuously strive to eliminate errors and obstacles, thereby enhancing their job productivity. Additionally, expert and specialist teachers can be requested to develop the necessary content in response to advancements in the educational landscape and current needs, sharing it on the Shad network. This will promote knowledge exchange among educators and contribute to the ongoing enhancement of the knowledge generated. Additionally, young and less experienced teachers can benefit from the accumulated knowledge of their more experienced counterparts without any restrictions related to time or location. In this context, the Shad Network will function as a knowledge management system or an educational knowledge repository.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Sciences and Techniques of Information Management
Volume 10, Issue 3
November 2024
Pages 41-72

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