title: National Culture and Knowledge Sharing Practices: Empirical Study in the Context of the Procurement of Educational Building Projects in Saudi Arabia
Creators: name: Jabour Al Hazmi, Hassan Shawqi
Publisher: name: Griffith University
Year: 2011
Subjects: subject: Knowledge management Suadi Arabia
subject: Educational building projects
subject: Government infrastructure

description: In advanced economies, government departments (and their agencies) are major construction clients. As governments engage in extensive repeat work, the impact of knowledge sharing (KS) is an important factor in facilitating the effective management of construction projects. Further, the need to access the knowledge residing individually and collectively among employees also reflects the importance of KS. A number of practices for sharing knowledge have been recommended in the literature. These practices, however, are considered to be applicable, universally. This assumption is challenged by the current study, which empirically explores the relationship between national culture (NC) and KS practices. Thus, the study’s aim was to identify whether NC dimensions could be significant variables that impact upon staff preferences in relation to KS practices. The thesis reports on an empirical investigation undertaken with a total of 250 individual professionals working for the Directorates of Projects and Maintenance, in two government sectors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: 135 individuals in the Ministry of Education (MOE) and 115 individuals in the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC). Over the next few years, both bodies will be responsible for the implementation of an ambitious government plan, to procure more than 2000 schools and hundreds of technical and vocational training centres. This goal is seen as providing an excellent opportunity to investigate the impact of NC on KS practices in a developing country, because: (1) the bulk of the educational building projects share many common features, thus necessitating the need for effective sharing of project knowledge; (2) there was a lack of empirical research on KS practices, especially from the perspective of construction clients; (3) little research had been published on the impact of national culture on knowledge management; and (4) the uniqueness of the Saudi culture. The research began by critically reviewing the literature to identify appropriate measures for KS practices. Each measurement item was then re-evaluated and revised to ensure the measurement tool’s relevance to the research context. To provide the data set for analysis, a questionnaire, based on KS practices (dependent variables), was developed. The questionnaire comprised of three constructs (KS means, KS v enablers, and KS benefits) with a total of 41 items. The first construct, KS means, refers to those means by which staff are helped to work together and, thus, facilitate the exchange of knowledge (19 items). The second construct, KS enablers, refers to the policies and technical support that increase the staff’s ability to share knowledge (10 items). The third construct, KS benefits (12 items), refers to the benefits the employees perceive they will gain by practising KS, and their perceptions of their role in knowledge sharing. The data on the NC (independent variable) was collected using the Values Survey Module 2008 (VSM 08), which comprises 28 items. Further, the relationships among the research constructs were examined using the exploratory factor analysis (EFA), the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), regression analysis, and structural equation modelling. The study’s findings provide empirical evidence that the national culture has a significant influence on staff preferences in relation to knowledge sharing practices. Further, the study identified that the main cultural dimensions (Power Distance (PDI); Individualism (IDV); Masculinity (MAS); and Long-term Orientation (LTO)) significantly influence KS practices. Importantly, the study developed reliable and valid measurement scales for the KS practices theoretical construct, namely, “KS means”, “KS enablers”, and “KS benefits”. These scales provide a solid foundation from which researchers can effectively study knowledge sharing practices, particularly within the construction context. Moreover, the research study provides a greater understanding of the implications of the KS practices in the procurement of public building projects in Saudi Arabia. It also provides new knowledge for managers to enable them to gain a better understanding of the preferences of their staff in regard to KS practices. This appreciation will facilitate the improvement of project outcomes. Finally, a number of recommendations are made in relation to the KS practices that parallel staff preferences in the procurement of public building projects in Saudi Arabia.