An International Study of Knowledge Sharing in Human Resource Management at Higher Education Institutions

The knowledge economy of the 21 st century has redefined human resource management as a strategic component of organisation success.This is particularly true in institutions of higher education, where knowledge serves not only as an organisational driver, but represents the very core of these institutions.Both the nature of these institutions, and the academics who work within them form part of a valuable institutional knowledge pool.Knowledge sharing within such an organisation is vital to its sustainability and viability.This study employs a cross-sectional survey design administered in three countries to respondents employed in the human resource divisions of higher education institutions to explore the theme of knowledge sharing.The study identified formal policies, practices, and procedures to be promoters of knowledge sharing.Organisational structure, political interference, poor communication between employees, and a command and control approach were considered to be barriers to knowledge sharing, particularly in South Africa and Mauritius.Silo compartmentalisation of organisations pose a threat to the transfer of knowledge between departments, and there is still much work that needs to be done before knowledge can be trusted to be reliable, current, and useful for decision making.