Mobile Phone Technology Knowledge Sharing Model Among University Academics

The potentials of mobile phone technology are huge and it has opened possibilities and avenues for enhancing knowledge sharing activities among academics in Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs). However, it was found that there was, in general, lack of knowledge sharing activities among academics in IHLs and lack of academic research on the use of mobile phone technologies for knowledge sharing purposes in IHLs. To address these issues, a study was conducted with the main aim of proposing a mobile phone technology knowledge sharing model for promoting knowledge sharing among academics in IHLs. In order to achieve this, a study was carried out to explore the current state of knowledge sharing among academics in
IHLs, to identify the potential use of mobile phone technology for knowledge sharing among academics in IHLs, and to identify the factors that could lead to the adoption of mobile phone technology that could be utilized to promote knowledge sharing among academics in IHLs. A series of tests such as factor analysis, correlation, and reliability analysis was conducted to confirm that the instruments used are valid and reliable. This research adapted the triangulation method for collecting data. A survey research and a case study method were adopted to fulfill the research objectives. This study has successfully developed the extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model in mobile phone technology knowledge sharing context. The results reinforced the role of mobility, self efficacy, usefulness, interpersonal influence, ease of use, enjoyment, academics' attitude, academics' subjective norm, and academics' behavior control factors as the fundamental drivers for adoption of mobile phone technology to promote knowledge sharing among academics in Institutions of Higher Learning. This research was conducted in three phases. The first phase was to explore the current state of knowledge sharing among
academics in IHLs by conducting a 76-items questionnaire on 143 academics that were randomly selected from different colleges in University Utara Malaysia (UUM). The second phase was meant to identify the potential use of mobile phone technology for knowledge sharing among academics in IHLs. The researcher administered a 57-items-questionnaire on 154 academics that were randomly selected from different colleges of UUM. The third phase was carried out to identify
the factors that could lead to the adoption of mobile phone technology that can be utilized to promote knowledge sharing among academics in IHLs. The researcher administered a 48-items-questionnaire on 181 academics that were randomly selected from different colleges of UUM. The outcome of this research also indicates that there are many benefits of adopting mobile phone technology for knowledge
sharing purposes among academics in IHLs, and thus this study was a worth while effort and beneficial for the academic world. Among the benefits are, it helps to create awareness of the importance of knowledge sharing and management among academics, and it is also able to shed lights on better ways and avenues on how to manage knowledge, intellectual property, information and data in general. In addition, this study can perhaps inculcate the importance of knowledge sharing to all important stakeholders in the institutions of higher learning. Last, but not least, this study also hopes to elicit ways and avenues on how to make mobile phone technology more accessible to all academics and students and perhaps at a cheaper cost.