Knowledge Management (KM) Practices - A Study of KM Adoption among Doctors in Kuwait
Knowledge management is considered as an important
factor in improving health care services. KM facilitates the transfer of
existing knowledge and the development of new knowledge in
hospitals. This paper reviews practices adopted by doctors in Kuwait
for capturing, sharing, and generating knowledge. It also discusses
the perceived impact of KM practices on performance of hospitals.
Based on a survey of 277 doctors, the study found that KM practices
among doctors in the sampled hospitals were not very effective. Little
attention was paid to the main activities that support the transfer of
expertise among doctors in hospitals. However, as predicted by
previous studies, good km practices were perceived by doctors to
have a positive impact on performance of hospitals. It was concluded
that through effective KM practices hospitals could improve the
services they provide. Documentation of best practices and capturing
of lessons learnt for re-use of knowledge could help transform the
hospitals into learning organizations.
[1] Alajmi, B. “The intention to share: psychological investigation of
knowledge sharing behavior in online communities,” Journal of
Information & Knowledge Management, vol. 11, 03, 2012.
[2] Alajmi, B., McInerney, C. R., Orzano, A.J., Tallia, A. F., Meese, A., &
Vamanu, I. “ Knowledge management tools and processes in the U.S.
primary health care: Analysis of four case studies,” In Proc. The
International Conference on Knowledge Management, Hackensack, NJ:
World Scientific, 2010.
[3] El Morr, C., & Subercaze, J. “ Knowledge Management in Healthcare,”
In of Research on Developments in e-Health and Telemedicine:
Technological and Social Perspectives Handbook , MM Cunha, A.
Tavares, and R. Simões, Eds., IGI Global, 2010, pp. 490-510.
[4] Bose, R. “Knowledge management-enabled health care management
systems: Capabilities, infrastructure, and decision-support,” Expert
Systems with Applications, vol. 24, 2003, pp. 59-71,
[5] Cheuk, B. “Sense-making methodology and communities of practice
within the British Council,” In Proceedings of the first IKMS
International Conference on Knowledge Management Singapore,
Trezzini, B., Lambe, P., Hawamdeh, S. Eds., New Jersey: World
Scientific, 2004, pp. 55-65,
[6] Davenport, T. H., & Prusak, L. “Working knowledge: How
organizations manage what they know,” Boston: Harvard Business
School Press, 1998.
[7] Dyer, J. H., & Nobeoka, K. “Creating and managing a high-performance
knowledge sharing network: The Toyota case,” Strategic Management
Journal, 21, 2000, pp. 345-367.
[8] Hislop, D. “Knowledge processes and communication dynamics,” In
Rethinking knowledge management: From knowledge objectives to
knowledge processes, McInerney, C. R. and Day, R. E. Eds., Heidelberg,
Germany: Springer, 2007, pp. 187-208.
[9] Lee, C. K., & Hawamdeh, S. “Factors impacting knowledge sharing.
Journal of Information and Knowledge Management,” vol. 1,2002, pp.
49-56.
[10] Lee, C. K., Foo, S., Chaudhry, A.S, & Hawamdeh, S. “Developing a
theory of voluntary, informal, knowledge sharing,” In Proceeding of the
International Conference on Knowledge, Culture, and Change in
Organization, London, UK,2004, pp. 3-6.
[11] Lpَez-Nicolas C., & Merono-Cerdan, L. “Strategic knowledge
management, innovation and performance,” International Journal of
Information Management vol. 31, 2011, pp. 502–509.
[12] Khalghani, A., Reshadatjoo, H., & Iran-Nejad-Parizi, M. "A study on
organizational culture, structure and information technology as three
KM enablers: A case study in five Iranian medical and healthcare
research centers,” Management Science Letters, vol. 3(1), 2013, pp. 147-
158.
[13] Kuwait Ministry of Health, “Health Kuwait. Edition XLVIII.,” 2011.
[14] McGowan, B.S., et al. “Understanding the factors that influence the
adoption and meaningful use of social media by physicians to share
medical information,” Journal of Medical Internet Research, vol. 14(5),
2012, pp.117.
[15] Nonaka, I. and Takeuchi, H. “The Knowledge-creating Company: How
Japanese Companies Create the Dynamics of Innovatio,” NY: Oxford
University Press, 1995.
[16] Orzano, A.J., McInerney, C.R., McDaniel, R.R., Meese, A., Alajmi, B.,
Mohr, S., & Tallia, A.F. “A medical home-value and implications of
knowledge management,” Health Care Management Review, vol. 34(3),
2009, pp. 224-233.
[17] Orzano, A.J., McInerney, C.R., Scharf, D., Tallia, A.F., & Crabtree, B.F.
“ A knowledge management model: Implications for enhancing quality
in health care,” Journal of the American Society for Information Science
and Technology, vol. 59(3), 2008a, pp. 489–505.
[18] Orzano, A.J., McInerney, C.R., Scharf, D., Tallia, A.F., and Crabtree,
B.F. “Family medicine practice performance and knowledge
management,” Health Care Management Review, vol. 33(1), 2008b,pp.
21-28.
[19] Orzano, A.J., Tallia, A.F., McInerney, C.R., McDaniel, R.R, and
Crabtree, B.F. “ Strategies for developing a knowledge-driven culture in
your practice,” Family Practice Management, vol. 14 (4), 2007, pp. 32-
34.
[20] Pascal, C. J. , McInerney, C. Orzano, A.J., Clarke, E. Clemow, L.
(2013). The use of knowledge management in healthcare: The
implementation of shared care plans in electronic medical record systems at one primary care practice. Journal of Information &
Knowledge Management, Vol. 12, No. 4.
[21] Rao, M. “Knowledge management tools and techniques: Practitioners
and experts evaluate KM solutions,” Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann,
2005.
[22] Ryu, S., Ho, S. H., & Han, I. “Knowledge sharing behavior of
physicians in hospitals,” Expert Systems with Applications, vol. 25,
2003, pp.113-122.
[23] Rašula, J., Vukšić, V. B., & Štemberger, M. I. “The impact of
knowledge management on organizational performance,” Economic and
Business Review, vol. 14(2),2012, pp. 147–168
[24] Wenger, E., McDermott, R., and Snyder, W. “Cultivating communities
of practice,” Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Press,
2002.
[25] Walz, D., Elam, J. J., & Curtis, B. "Inside a software design team:
Knowledge acquisition, sharing and integration,” Communications of the
ACM, vol. 36(10), 1993, pp. 63-77.
[26] Zaied, A. (2012). An Integrated Knowledge Management Capabilities
Framework for Assessing Organizational Performance. International
Journal for Information Technology and Computer Science 2, pp.1-10.
[1] Alajmi, B. “The intention to share: psychological investigation of
knowledge sharing behavior in online communities,” Journal of
Information & Knowledge Management, vol. 11, 03, 2012.
[2] Alajmi, B., McInerney, C. R., Orzano, A.J., Tallia, A. F., Meese, A., &
Vamanu, I. “ Knowledge management tools and processes in the U.S.
primary health care: Analysis of four case studies,” In Proc. The
International Conference on Knowledge Management, Hackensack, NJ:
World Scientific, 2010.
[3] El Morr, C., & Subercaze, J. “ Knowledge Management in Healthcare,”
In of Research on Developments in e-Health and Telemedicine:
Technological and Social Perspectives Handbook , MM Cunha, A.
Tavares, and R. Simões, Eds., IGI Global, 2010, pp. 490-510.
[4] Bose, R. “Knowledge management-enabled health care management
systems: Capabilities, infrastructure, and decision-support,” Expert
Systems with Applications, vol. 24, 2003, pp. 59-71,
[5] Cheuk, B. “Sense-making methodology and communities of practice
within the British Council,” In Proceedings of the first IKMS
International Conference on Knowledge Management Singapore,
Trezzini, B., Lambe, P., Hawamdeh, S. Eds., New Jersey: World
Scientific, 2004, pp. 55-65,
[6] Davenport, T. H., & Prusak, L. “Working knowledge: How
organizations manage what they know,” Boston: Harvard Business
School Press, 1998.
[7] Dyer, J. H., & Nobeoka, K. “Creating and managing a high-performance
knowledge sharing network: The Toyota case,” Strategic Management
Journal, 21, 2000, pp. 345-367.
[8] Hislop, D. “Knowledge processes and communication dynamics,” In
Rethinking knowledge management: From knowledge objectives to
knowledge processes, McInerney, C. R. and Day, R. E. Eds., Heidelberg,
Germany: Springer, 2007, pp. 187-208.
[9] Lee, C. K., & Hawamdeh, S. “Factors impacting knowledge sharing.
Journal of Information and Knowledge Management,” vol. 1,2002, pp.
49-56.
[10] Lee, C. K., Foo, S., Chaudhry, A.S, & Hawamdeh, S. “Developing a
theory of voluntary, informal, knowledge sharing,” In Proceeding of the
International Conference on Knowledge, Culture, and Change in
Organization, London, UK,2004, pp. 3-6.
[11] Lpَez-Nicolas C., & Merono-Cerdan, L. “Strategic knowledge
management, innovation and performance,” International Journal of
Information Management vol. 31, 2011, pp. 502–509.
[12] Khalghani, A., Reshadatjoo, H., & Iran-Nejad-Parizi, M. "A study on
organizational culture, structure and information technology as three
KM enablers: A case study in five Iranian medical and healthcare
research centers,” Management Science Letters, vol. 3(1), 2013, pp. 147-
158.
[13] Kuwait Ministry of Health, “Health Kuwait. Edition XLVIII.,” 2011.
[14] McGowan, B.S., et al. “Understanding the factors that influence the
adoption and meaningful use of social media by physicians to share
medical information,” Journal of Medical Internet Research, vol. 14(5),
2012, pp.117.
[15] Nonaka, I. and Takeuchi, H. “The Knowledge-creating Company: How
Japanese Companies Create the Dynamics of Innovatio,” NY: Oxford
University Press, 1995.
[16] Orzano, A.J., McInerney, C.R., McDaniel, R.R., Meese, A., Alajmi, B.,
Mohr, S., & Tallia, A.F. “A medical home-value and implications of
knowledge management,” Health Care Management Review, vol. 34(3),
2009, pp. 224-233.
[17] Orzano, A.J., McInerney, C.R., Scharf, D., Tallia, A.F., & Crabtree, B.F.
“ A knowledge management model: Implications for enhancing quality
in health care,” Journal of the American Society for Information Science
and Technology, vol. 59(3), 2008a, pp. 489–505.
[18] Orzano, A.J., McInerney, C.R., Scharf, D., Tallia, A.F., and Crabtree,
B.F. “Family medicine practice performance and knowledge
management,” Health Care Management Review, vol. 33(1), 2008b,pp.
21-28.
[19] Orzano, A.J., Tallia, A.F., McInerney, C.R., McDaniel, R.R, and
Crabtree, B.F. “ Strategies for developing a knowledge-driven culture in
your practice,” Family Practice Management, vol. 14 (4), 2007, pp. 32-
34.
[20] Pascal, C. J. , McInerney, C. Orzano, A.J., Clarke, E. Clemow, L.
(2013). The use of knowledge management in healthcare: The
implementation of shared care plans in electronic medical record systems at one primary care practice. Journal of Information &
Knowledge Management, Vol. 12, No. 4.
[21] Rao, M. “Knowledge management tools and techniques: Practitioners
and experts evaluate KM solutions,” Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann,
2005.
[22] Ryu, S., Ho, S. H., & Han, I. “Knowledge sharing behavior of
physicians in hospitals,” Expert Systems with Applications, vol. 25,
2003, pp.113-122.
[23] Rašula, J., Vukšić, V. B., & Štemberger, M. I. “The impact of
knowledge management on organizational performance,” Economic and
Business Review, vol. 14(2),2012, pp. 147–168
[24] Wenger, E., McDermott, R., and Snyder, W. “Cultivating communities
of practice,” Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Press,
2002.
[25] Walz, D., Elam, J. J., & Curtis, B. "Inside a software design team:
Knowledge acquisition, sharing and integration,” Communications of the
ACM, vol. 36(10), 1993, pp. 63-77.
[26] Zaied, A. (2012). An Integrated Knowledge Management Capabilities
Framework for Assessing Organizational Performance. International
Journal for Information Technology and Computer Science 2, pp.1-10.
@article{"International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences:68761", author = "B. Alajmi and L. Marouf and A. S. Chaudhry", title = "Knowledge Management (KM) Practices - A Study of KM Adoption among Doctors in Kuwait", abstract = "Knowledge management is considered as an important
factor in improving health care services. KM facilitates the transfer of
existing knowledge and the development of new knowledge in
hospitals. This paper reviews practices adopted by doctors in Kuwait
for capturing, sharing, and generating knowledge. It also discusses
the perceived impact of KM practices on performance of hospitals.
Based on a survey of 277 doctors, the study found that KM practices
among doctors in the sampled hospitals were not very effective. Little
attention was paid to the main activities that support the transfer of
expertise among doctors in hospitals. However, as predicted by
previous studies, good km practices were perceived by doctors to
have a positive impact on performance of hospitals. It was concluded
that through effective KM practices hospitals could improve the
services they provide. Documentation of best practices and capturing
of lessons learnt for re-use of knowledge could help transform the
hospitals into learning organizations.
", keywords = "Health Sector, Hospitals, Knowledge Management, Kuwait, Tools and Practices.", volume = "9", number = "1", pages = "121-7", }
