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" Factors that Influence Employees’ Knowledge-Sharing Behaviour in an Investment Firm in Kuwait "
Al Othman, Saleh Y.
Akbar, Hammad
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Latin Dissertation
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| Language of Document
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English
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| Record Number
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1056281
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| Doc. No
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TL55398
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| Main Entry
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Al Othman, Saleh Y.
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| Title & Author
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Factors that Influence Employees’ Knowledge-Sharing Behaviour in an Investment Firm in Kuwait\ Al Othman, Saleh Y.Akbar, Hammad
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| College
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The University of Liverpool (United Kingdom)
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| Date
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2019
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| Degree
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Ph.D.
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| student score
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2019
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| Note
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288 p.
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| Abstract
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Information dissemination is gradually gaining suitability in all organisations in the modern dispensation information era. At a distinct level, knowledge dissemination is the procedure through which a person willingly guarantees admittance to the exchange of information, and experiences as well as knowledge with others in the organisation. Sharing of knowledge is essential organisations as they are not treated as independent organizations (Orlikowski, 2002; Tsoukas, 1996). Dissemination of knowledge entails many-sided and complex actions that depend on factors such as cultural, technological and organisational aspects as well as attitudes and an individual’s values (Oliver, 2008). The research problem highlights the lack of the incorporation of knowledge-sharing practices in investment companies and defines the reasons why knowledge sharing is not a significant component of a business strategy. However, studies about the practices in the sharing of knowledge in the investment sector in Kuwait are lacking. Consequently, this leaves a gap in the academic and the business environments concerning the significance of knowledge sharing and its practices in Kuwait. The gap in the field of knowledge sharing has formed the basis for this research and the aim is to ensure an understanding of the knowledge-sharing practices. Moreover, the research aims to fill this gap by determining the reasons why employees and management in the investment sector have not taken a step towards formally practising knowledge sharing in these companies. The investment sector has a substantial function in the country’s development and economic well-being. These companies compete in retaining their customers and recruiting new ones but, with similar products and service offerings, maintaining the competitive advantage is relatively difficult. Investment companies need to focus on the knowledge that they possess and use it to create a unique knowledge, which can then be a competitive advantage, leading to business growth. This research collects information from employees through surveys, followed by in-depth data collection from the management of the investment companies through interviews. The findings will contribute immensely to the existing gap in the concerned research field and add value to management by formally introducing knowledge-sharing practices in the Kuwait investment companies. The literature review defined the conceptual framework for this study. The independent variables included individual cognition (organisational commitment and perceived benefits), interpersonal interaction (trust and social interaction) and the corporate context (reward systems and organisational support). The dependent factor is the individuals’ knowledge sharing behaviour. Additionally, information technology is considered a mediating variable. The model was tested by collecting data from the managers and the employees of the selected organisations. The research uses both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. First, the data from employees were gathered through surveys (quantitative), and this was followed by interviews with managers (qualitative). Based on the survey, there were 424 responses, and these were analysed using SPSS. Interviews with seven managers were conducted on the quantitative data results. The quantitative findings indicated that perceived benefits, social interaction, organisational support and reward systems are vital components in individuals’ knowledge-sharing behaviour. Based on the managerial interviews, top management (support and knowledge sharing practices), managerial relationship, informal communication and knowledge-sharing platform (IT, social events) are perceived important. The qualitative findings from the management of the investment companies indicated that knowledge-sharing practices are not practised. Some managers take self-interest into such practices. However, from an overall perspective, the investment sector in Kuwait has not yet started such practices. The qualitative findings also showed that the management is aware that knowledge-sharing practices are an organization-wide concept and there is a need for such practices to be part of the overall business strategy, mission and vision. The literature review has depicted the absence of research paradigms into knowledge-sharing practices in investment companies. Based on the in-depth findings and employee survey, the findings of the thesis contribute to scholarly practitioners’ knowledge and to the literature by recommending a framework that investment companies in Kuwait can use to assess the knowledge-sharing practices. The framework focuses on individual factors and organisational factors. Organisations have to provide the appropriate knowledge-sharing platforms for employees to take part in knowledge sharing. The findings of the study consequently add value to academic and business fields.
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| Descriptor
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Finance
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Information science
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Middle Eastern studies
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Organizational behavior
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| Added Entry
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Akbar, Hammad
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| Added Entry
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The University of Liverpool (United Kingdom)
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