The research established that the knowledge management environment in administration at UNZA had a mixture of enablers that were supporting knowledge management practices and other enablers that hindered knowledge management practices. Some enablers were progressing well in supporting knowledge management practices, other enablers were being considered for implementation whilst other enablers were not conducive at all. In this regard, this study presents recommendations for effective knowledge management implementation in university administration. The recommendations are in form of benchmarking guidelines for the knowledge environment. The benchmarking guidelines encompasses the findings of this study, findings from extant literature from the literature review and some features and ideas from Botha & Fouché (2002) Knowledge Management Assessment Model (KMAM).
6.3.1 BENCHMARKING GUIDELINES FOR KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IMPLEMENTATION IN UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION
For effective knowledge management implementation in university administration, the knowledge management environment should be assessed and a foundation should be laid upon which knowledge management can flourish. This therefore calls for underlying necessities before a knowledge management strategy can be implemented. These necessities are as follows:
6.3.1.1 Benchmarking Guidelines for University Leadership
University leadership, which is the top management, should fulfil the following benchmarks before a knowledge management programme is implemented:
(i) Develop and support a university vision that embraces knowledge as a critical resource for competitive advantage.
(ii) Participate in strategy formulation through strategic planning that embraces knowledge management and support the processes of strategy development. (iii) Communicate the vision and strategy to all members of the university and
enforce participation in setting and pursuing learning objectives as well as adherence to Higher Education Authority requirements.
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(iv) Align and foster practices that enhances knowledge management enablers of culture, structure, processes and technology to support knowledge management practices.
(v) Develop and implement an evaluation plan to measure the knowledge management environment.
It is hoped that once the above benchmarks are met, the University would be ready to adopt and implement a formalised Knowledge management strategy.
6.3.1.2 Benchmarking Guidelines on Administrative Culture
University leadership, upon achieving the set out benchmarks, should also develop an administrative culture that is conducive for knowledge management practices. The following benchmarks are to be met for a culture to be considered conducive for knowledge management:
(i) Atmosphere for intense, open, widespread and free flowing knowledge and information communication that should cut across organizational boundaries and underscored by mutual trust, understanding and respect.
(ii) Existence of collaborative relationships such as alliances and partnerships among units and departments to jointly create and share knowledge.
(iii) Deliberate University management initiatives promoting usage of open areas, co-located offices and informal meeting places as workplaces.
(iv) Existence of formal incentive systems for innovation and knowledge sharing. (v) Existence of formal training and development programmes in knowledge and
information management.
(vi) Knowledge repositories developed and communicated to employees for voluntary knowledge contribution.
Once the above benchmarks are satisfied, this research is on the premise that the culture could be conducive for knowledge management practices of knowledge creation, communication, contribution and application. The above benchmarks to be met requires active involvement by university leadership.
6.3.1.3 Benchmarking Guidelines on Structure
The structure of university administration acts as one of the critical factors that supports effective knowledge management. This study established that structure
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requires university leadership involvement for it to effectively support knowledge management practices of knowledge acquisition, knowledge exploitation, knowledge awareness, knowledge communication, knowledge sharing and knowledge transfer. University leadership should therefore ensure that the following structure benchmarks are met if a knowledge management strategy has to succeed:
(i) Appointment of management and administrative staff into project teams, committee and workgroups with multi-disciplinary and cross-functional members.
(ii) Embedded specific knowledge management roles into job descriptions of all administrative staff and promotion of knowledge management awareness should be a crosscutting responsibility for all employees.
(iii) Communication sessions between management and administrative staff should have knowledge and knowledge management as regular agenda points for discussion.
(iv) Implementation of incentive systems that recognise sustenance of university’s knowledge base.
(v) Existence of established well-structured formal relationships with other universities and shared knowledge objectives in administration.
As established by this study and recommendations from Botha & Fouché (2002), a positive assessment on the above benchmarks on the structure of an organization can promote knowledge management practices.
6.3.1.4 Benchmarking Guidelines on Administrative Processes
Processes are cardinal in managing organizations. The leadership of the university should ensure that the processes in administration are promoting and contributing towards achieving the goals and vision of the organization. It is thus important that the processes in administration should meet certain parameters to be considered in promoting effective knowledge management. The following processes benchmarks should be realised, with the participation of university leadership:
(i) Administrative staff should be involved in developing policies, work manuals and standard operating procedures.
(ii) In times of new management and administrative challenges, core knowledge resource and capabilities across organizational boundaries should be
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engaged. These resources could be academicians, technical staff, professional staff, aging workforce, worker’s unions as well as new employees.
(iii) Established processes for information acquisition, codification and distribution in university administration.
(iv) Established knowledge retention practices of succession planning, mentoring, and exit interviews.
It is hoped that if the above benchmarks are met, the organization administrative processes could be seen as supporting effective knowledge management.
6.3.1.5 Benchmarking Guidelines for Technology
The study through literature review revealed that technology is one of the important factors that influence knowledge management implementation (McCampbell, Clare & Glitters, 1999). Further, technology facilitates quick search, access of information cooperation and communication between organizational members (Yeh et’ al, 2006). Technology should support organizational knowledge processes. As Botha & Fouché (2001) advance that information system architecture should be aligned to support and accommodate knowledge management applications as well as provide people-to- people information connectivity and networkability. The following benchmarks should act as underlying measurement for technology support to knowledge management: (i) Existence of information systems such as groupware, intranet and portals,
designed to enhance the effective access to information.
(ii) Existence of purposefully deployed and integrated information technology infrastructure with sufficient and efficient accessibility to all administrative members.
(iii) Availability of functionally integrated knowledge managent application software. (iv) University leadership enforcement plan for utilization of the technology systems
and infrastructure.
Availability of the above technology benchmarks and proper university leadership governance of the technology can act as return on investment on effective knowledge management implementation.
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6.3.1.6 Benchmarking Guidelines on Measurements
Upon implementation of a formalized knowledge management programme, university leadership should be ready to measure or rather evaluate the progress of implementation. Measurements also helps organizations, in this case the university to determine the benefits and effectiveness of knowledge management. Further, the measurements also helps to ascertain the level of alignment of the knowledge management enablers of culture, structure, processes and structure (Botha & Fouché, 2002). Measurements require a number of strategies which university leadership should meet. The following are benchmarks for measurements:
(i) Existence of a formal performance measuring system to measure and manage administrative staff and asses their contribution to university performance.
(ii) Established monitoring and assessment mechanisms for assessing usage of knowledge managent tools.
(iii) A reporting system of progress on monitoring, reporting and continued assessment of knowledge managent programmes.
(iv) University leadership alignment strategies of knowledge managent practices with university’s vision, strategy and objectives as well as culture, structure, processes and technology.
It is hoped that with the above measures in place, the university can assess the knowledge managent contribution to university performance.