Knowledge Sharing System (KSS) Design: Comparison
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Numerous ICT instruments, such as communication tools, social media platforms, and collaborative software, bolster and facilitate knowledge sharing activities. Determining the vital success factors for knowledge sharing within its unique context is argued to be essential before implementing it. Therefore, it is imperative to define domain-specific critical success factors when envisioning the design of a knowledge sharing system. This research paper introduces the blueprint for an Academic Knowledge Sharing System (AKSS), rooted in an essential success framework tailored to knowledge sharing to deploy within an academic institution. In this regard, an extensive exploration of the relevant literature led to the formulation of the research hypothesis that guided the construction of a questionnaire targeting university students through the online platform Pollfish, utilizing a quantitative approach to investigate, while the data collected was analyzed using SPSS version 22. The study unveils critical factors, including encouragement, acknowledgment, a reward system, fostering a knowledge sharing culture, and leading by example, contributing to developing the knowledge sharing framework. Furthermore, the study illustrates how this framework seamlessly integrated into the design, implementation, and execution of the Academic Knowledge Sharing System (AKSS). 

  • knowledge sharing system
  • knowledge management
  • knowledge sharing
  • academic knowledge sharing system
  • knowledge sharing tool
  • higher education institution

1. Introduction

Knowledge sharing is a pivotal characteristic of human interaction. It has played a fundamental role in the development and advancement of societies throughout history. From the oral tradition of communication to the modern digital age, knowledge sharing has been critical for accumulating collective wisdom, spreading ideas, and fostering innovation. The knowledge sharing mechanism emerges from exploring motivation, cultural dynamics, the profound impact of learning, collaboration, and the shaping of human civilization. James Gleick, in his book titled The Information, A History, a Theory, a Flood (2011), sums up the process of the transition of knowledge sharing from colonial European explorers to the development of Wikipedia. Understanding knowledge is intertwined with human cognition’s social nature and emphasizes collective wisdom’s importance [1].
Peter F. Drucker foresaw that knowledge sharing would become essential in the emerging economy, holding knowledge as a costly and central resource. Furthermore, knowledge is crucial to foster organizational learning and for the development of learning organizations [2], especially in a fast-changing environment such as the pandemic of COVID-19 [3], where it aids in implementing adaptive strategies. Alongside teaching and learning, knowledge creation is vital for research universities. Knowledge creation processes are managed by establishing research institutes and centers within the university domain [4]. As per [5], knowledge sharing transforms individual knowledge into collective corporate knowledge by enriching an organization’s intellectual capital. A study by [6] revealed that knowledge sharing in the supply chain contributes to organizational success, adds to an organization’s competitive advantage, fosters innovation, enhances employee performance, and strengthens the supplier–consumer relationship. High turnover in the oil and gas industries and a lack of knowledge sharing practices have become the reason for enormous knowledge loss [5]. Knowledge sharing has gained extensive research attention, mainly driven by the emergence of the knowledge economy, as it positively influences organizational factors, including job satisfaction, innovation, and competitive advantage [7].
With the advent of technology-based mass media, knowledge sharing further expanded as these mediums allowed widespread dissemination of information to large audiences. The internet took the practice of knowledge sharing to another level, enabling instant and global access to vast amounts of data. The availability of online platforms, for instance, search engines, social media, and numerous collaborative platforms, has transformed how knowledge is shared. These platforms not only democratized access but fostered interactive engagement.
This text introduces the blueprint for an Academic Knowledge Sharing System (AKSS), rooted in an essential success framework tailored to knowledge sharing to deploy within an academic institution. In this regard, an extensive exploration of the relevant literature led to the formulation of the research hypothesis that guided the construction of a questionnaire targeting university students through the online platform Pollfish, utilizing a quantitative approach to investigate, while the data collected was analyzed using SPSS version 22. The study unveils critical factors, including encouragement, acknowledgment, a reward system, fostering a knowledge sharing culture, and leading by example, contributing to developing the knowledge sharing framework. Furthermore, the study illustrates how this framework seamlessly integrated into the design, implementation, and execution of the Academic Knowledge Sharing System (AKSS).

2. Effects and Challenges of Knowledge Sharing

Knowledge sharing activities create multidimensional effects on organizations as well as on individuals. Ref. [5] said practices of knowledge sharing encourage the exchange of ideas, develop expertise, add to experiences, and increase innovation within an organization. They improve decision-making by assisting individuals and teams to make informed decisions [2]. For instance, an employee with access to relevant information and expertise from others can evaluate different perspectives and consider a broader range of options before making decisions. Knowledge sharing practices accelerate the learning process as openly shared knowledge adds to the expertise and experiences of peers by enabling them to acquire new skills [8]. Hence, an environment of continuous learning develops.
Moreover, knowledge sharing practices foster collaboration among individuals and across departments, lowering barriers and silos [9]. On the other hand, ref. [10] believe that mutually exchanged knowledge leads to developing “new knowledge”. The concept of knowledge sharing originated because shared knowledge can guarantee success. Knowledge sharing aims to spread knowledge among peers, employees, and society to benefit others [11].
Nevertheless, several reasons restrict the knowledge sharer from participating voluntarily, such as a lack of confidence [12], language barriers [13], the absence of moral support, and the absence of an encouraging environment [14]. In the corporate world, as per [15], one big reason for not sharing tacit knowledge is insecurity among peers and a lack of competency. Knowledge sharing platforms can do wonders by lowering these barriers. Unfortunately, in present times, these platforms are not explicitly designed, keeping in mind the unique requirements of diverse institutes.

3. Knowledge Sharing System (KSS) Design

Ref. [16] discussed the process of knowledge distribution and knowledge sharing as fundamental to fostering creativity and innovation. It requires an appropriate system development method to develop a knowledge sharing platform. The latest technology applications in system development ensure that knowledge sharing platforms can be improved through user interaction, engagement, and participation. The success of knowledge sharing systems in enhancing efficiency and effectiveness within an organization depends on numerous factors involved in the development process. These factors can be categorized as individual, group, and organizational.
Though available social media platforms proliferated knowledge sharing practices and developed an urge among individuals to know more, these platforms lack dimension, creating challenges [17]. For instance, knowledge sharing on social media platforms lacks a sharing dynamic and willingness to share tacit knowledge. A perceived lack of personal benefits to sharing knowledge on such platforms is another challenge empowered by the fear of losing knowledge power. People also fear cross-boundary knowledge sharing as it creates further complications. Organizational culture and the nature of knowledge are other impediments, including the unavailability of managerial or leadership direction, lack of trust, and absence of a reward system adding to the issue.
KS design standards can improve knowledge sharing practices. Primarily defined standards can serve as valuable resources in arranging to outline the design of each component along with the overall product to deliver knowledge precisely when required. Design guides generate the best outcome, along with design reviews and mentoring. Design standards are making KSSs easier and more visible to use. Design standards comprising modularity, platforms, and standard components enable one to focus energy and effort on designing part of the product that adds new value to the system. Because almost 80% of a KSS’s design is reused, energy must be focused on the remaining 20% to bring something better and differentiated [18].
According to [16], knowledge sharing system design comprises five phases: generating problem awareness, driving suggestions, a development phase, evaluation, and conclusion. The research process starts with problem awareness, from adequately analyzing the relevant industry and studying the literature in specific disciplines. In this stage, the proposal of the system is developed. The suggestions phase is used to prepare a tentative design which can be used to complete the proposal. The development phase is used to collect relevant artifacts from analysis and design, and a prototype is implemented. The evaluation phase is used to assess the developed prototype and ensure that stakeholders accept it. In the last stage, the evaluation results are implemented to solve the problem identified in the first step.
Ref. [19] mention the requirements as the identification of objectives and needs, deploying a user-centric approach to understand the preferences of potential users, and guideline development for creating, reviewing, and organizing the content. It is also required to incorporate filters, tags, search engines, and collaboration features such as commenting, rating, and sharing. KSS design must ensure accessibility on a variety of platforms. It must have high security and privacy features, incorporating analytics, feedback systems, and continuous improvement. The following section sheds light on currently available but popular KS technologies being used for knowledge sharing in the corporate world.

4. Current KS Technologies

Numerous studies have evaluated how sharing knowledge through individual digital technologies can impact job performance [2,8,20,21][2][8][20][21]. Technology-based knowledge sharing systems possess unique features and capabilities for generating, disseminating, and exchanging knowledge [8,13,22][8][13][22]. Consequently, organizations are increasingly combining various digital technologies to enhance knowledge sharing to improve communication and decision-making [20]. The following are some of the popular KS technologies and their features:
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SharePoint: is an effective platform for team collaboration and managing documents [23] but does not promote sharing tacit experiences [24] or involve any elements to urge knowledge sharing practices.
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Slack: another excellent platform to enhance real-time communication between team members. It may facilitate team members’ sharing of common knowledge [25] on projects or topics of concern, but it lacks an encouragement and acknowledgment element.
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Yammer: a social networking platform that allows organizational employees to connect, collaborate, and share information [26,27][26][27] without motivational features, formal acknowledgment, or a reward system. Yammer enhances communication within an organization by improving transparency. It can recognize the moods of organizational employees [28].
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HubSpot: this platform provides a community forum to share knowledge of marketing, sales, and customer services [29].
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LinkedIn: it can be called a professional social networking platform [30] but is not organization-specific; therefore, many of its strengths turn into weaknesses, such as privacy, trust, and encouragement. According to [31], LinkedIn has a 93.3% adoption rate among big businesses.
The list above is not exhaustive in the presence of numerous KS platforms. These can be categorized based on their specialties: for instance, LinkedIn can be a professional networking platform [30,31][30][31]. Sharepoint, Monday.com, Space, Wrike, and Onboard are specialized in collaboration facilities among team members. Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Meets are more appropriate for communication development [25]. GitHub, Hubspot, Quora, Stack Overflow, and vBulletin are popular community forums, while Yammer, Facebook, and Twitter are for social networking [27,31][27][31]. YouTube, Flicker, and Instagram are folksonomy related [30].
On the other hand, learning management systems (LMS) such as Blackboard, Brightspace, Canvas, and Moodle are effective in improving the teaching experience with the availability of a variety of tools, including screen magnification, screen readers, audio descriptions, speech recognition, and braille displays. These platforms also exhibit limitations in fostering knowledge sharing practices, not limited to a lack of familiarity among teachers and students. Additionally, these LMS platforms do not offer specific features designed to promote and encourage user knowledge sharing [32]. Similarly, ref. [33] stated that Blackboard and Brightspace are often seen as comprehensive virtual learning environments, but they fall short when promoting online teaching beyond typical paradigms. Arguably, relying on these platforms for knowledge sharing practices can be less efficient in facilitating the learner journey in fostering effective knowledge sharing. Ref. [34] stated that currently available online learning platforms, including Blackboard, Brightspace, Microsoft Teams, and Google Classroom, have limitations in promoting active knowledge sharing among students, which should be a central goal for higher education institutes.
Despite the availability of numerous knowledge management systems to be used in educational institutes, no proper study has been made to design a knowledge sharing system for the use of teachers, learners, academicians, and students, even in the presence of diverse studies focusing on the social features required to embed in knowledge sharing systems to accelerate knowledge sharing practices. A study conducted by [35] offers a design for collaboration and knowledge sharing tools focusing on educational institutes—however, their design centers on embedding collaboration tools, authoring, and assessing. 

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