The Status of Knowledge Sharing at the Decision Making Center of Deputy of Education in Iran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education

Introduction: One of the key factors in knowledge management is the organizations’ ability to share knowledge. The purpose of this paper was to examine the status of and factors affecting knowledge sharing in Deputy of Education in Iran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education in 2016. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in 2016. Research population consisted of all of the staffs in the Deputy of Education in the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, and the sample was formed by means of census method (280 people). Data about knowledge sharing were gathered by a researcher-made five-point Likert scale questionnaire which measured five dimensions: human factors, cultural factors, structural factors, leadership strategies, and system and technology (total=46 items). Spearman correlation coefficient was used to analysis the data. Results: A total of 234 people answered the questionnaire and participated in the study (response rate: 83.5%). The mean scores of the five dimensions were respectively obtained for structural factors (2.7±0.46), leadership strategies (2.66±0.54), system and technology (2.59±0.44), cultural factors (2.47±0.51), and human factors (2.46±0.52). The item “to get rewarded in exchange for knowledge sharing” with the mean score 1.73±0.82 had the lowest score and the item “no problem in the rate of available knowledge and information exchange between units/parts of the organization” with the mean score 3.61±0.97 had the highest score among all of the items. A significant relationship was only found between the variable of work experience and knowledge sharing. (p˂0.05). Conclusion: Since human and cultural factors were given the lowest scores among the examined dimensions, it is necessary to strengthen these dimensions. Improving the cultural structure in the Deputy of Education through emphasis on knowledge sharing seems to be an appropriate solution for effective and efficient use of this capability. Accordingly, offering incentives for staff’s voluntary participation and activities is recommended.