Critical Review of Knowledge Sharing Research Methodologies Case Study

Insights on Research Strategies and Data Collection

Introduction

The term "critical methodical review" is used to describe an in-depth analysis sometimes called a "critical reflection," "systematic review," or "critical thinking" of a published work, in which the author offers insightful commentary and an objective assessment. A critical evaluation may be done independently in many contexts, such as part of a research project or to be ready to write a journal article. The following recommendations have been presented to help students effectively evaluate scientific publications. This critical analysis evaluated 10 academic journals from literary sources released from the year 2000 to 2023 to gather the most up-to-date information on knowledge sharing. The study was conducted using “Google Scholar” and the computerized catalogue of the “Bangor University library”.

In the interest of clarifying the technique, data-collecting sources, and procedures employed in each publication linked to knowledge sharing, the researchers undertook a critical methodological study of 10 publications from each of these two types of academic journals.

Methodology and methods

In critically reviewing the paper the articles have been searched and filtered as per the topic and the year of publication. The articles have been searched by Google scholars by applying relevant keywords and customizing the date of publication of the articles(Ahmad, 2019). Furthermore, an article from the library of Bangor University has been fetched by applying keywords on the library portal of the university.

"Knowledge sharing" refers to every time one person transfers or shares information with another, whether or not the information has been formally recorded. It's a method through which workers in a company may readily communicate with one another and exchange their insights, ideas, and findings. All of the workers may access the knowledge base, or another digital platform where the exchange of information occurs, whenever they need it. When a company has a knowledge gap, its workers must devote considerable effort to retrieving the lost information by consulting a variety of sources: the internet, former colleagues, email archives, and so on (Analoui, 2019). But if all the necessary data is already collected in one place, everyone in the company may quickly and easily access what they need. By pooling resources and information, businesses may save a lot of money and time.

In the research methodology of the journal “Knowledge sharing in Higher Education” written by Bejan Anaouli the methodology section describes the quantitative research strategy along with the explanatory research design. A primary method has been used for the data collection process. The first research reports the findings of a survey questionnaire that probes the connection between learners' relationship quality and their propensity to communicate and use tacit information during the course of team projects (Wang, 2014). The second paper reports on focus groups consisting of university and doctoral students. Learners' perspectives and encounters with group workplace settings, tacit knowledge exchange, and resource provisioning strategies are investigated. In the third study, graduates taking a Human Resource Management course in their final year present the results of an action research project designed to encourage students to share and use their acquired knowledge. It details the planning, execution, and analysis of a pedagogical exercise developed to affect explicit knowledge transfer across groups enabled by technological means of communication. All three of these research provide light on how students perceive and experience knowledge sharing in group settings. Many suggestions for instructors and the business and management world at large are provided, and potential areas for further study are identified in light of the results.

In the methodology of the journal stated by Farhan Ahmad and Muhaimin Karim, a quantitative research strategy has been elaborated in the journal. An explanatory research design has been considered along with a primary data collection method (Danziger, 2020). The paradigm for comprehending the effects of information sharing was based on the results of a theme analysis performed on 61 research.

The methodology section of the article written by Sheng Wang, Raymond A. Noe, and Zhong-Ming Wan the section illustrates a quantitative research strategy along with a descriptive research design and primary data collection process (Urwin, 2020). One hundred workers from a software firm in China took part in the research. The authors discovered that information sharing was bolstered by both evaluation and assessment along with incentives.

In the methodology section of the article “Managing Knowledge in a High Tech Company: Knowledge Sharing about Information Systems” a quantitative research strategy has been used with a primary data collection process. An explanatory research design has been considered by the researcher. The majority of the information presented here came from online, self-administered questionnaires filled out by 398 ICT end users working for Torchmark, a big, global firm that manufactures high-technology goods (Arsawan, 2022). SPSS, a widely used statistical package, is used to evaluate the coded data. The majority of tables provide the frequency of answers in each group as well as the averages of interval- or ordinal-level variables.

In the article “The Knowledge Transaction: A Model of Knowledge Sharing within Organizations’ written by Chris Urwin the methodology section states survey is one of the ways of the data collection process. Furthermore, quantitative researcher strategy and explanatory research design have been used by the researcher (Singh, 2021). All employees at "Det Norske Veritas' Management System Consulting division" served as respondents to the poll for this study. Twenty respondents were selected as the optimal number for a random selection.

In the research methodology of the journal “Knowledge sharing in "Leveraging knowledge sharing and innovation culture into SMEs sustainable competitive advantage” written by Wayan Edi Arsawan the methodology section discusses the quantitative research strategy along with primary data collection methods. This survey was administered to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Bali, Indonesia, that were actively trading with the United States, Europe, and the Middle East (Al, 2020). The selection of study locations was informed by several factors. To maintain a competitive edge in export markets, SMEs should practice good knowledge leadership (knowledge acquisition). This calls for a strong capacity for innovation and flexible approaches to management. Sixty-nine small and medium-sized exporters (SMEs) participated in the study, representing the fashion industry, the furniture industry, the spa industry, the specialty goods industry, the jewelry industry, and the service industry. Fifty-nine small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) had five employees each fill out the survey for the study. The survey was sent out in the mail, and it was also handed out in person during interviews with SMEs. In the mail survey, participants were sent questions and prompted once a week until they had completed the survey in their own time.

In the research methodology of the journal “Knowledge sharing” in “Top management knowledge value, knowledge sharing practices, open innovation, and organizational performance" written by Sanjay Kumar Singh the methodology part describes a quantitative research strategy (Anand, 2021). Along with furthering the goals of the Journal for Business Research, this research provides three significant contributions to the field of open innovation in SMEs. This research lends credence to a growing field that studies how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may employ experience and understanding procedures inside the company as well as external data and research partnerships to innovate products and remain viable in their respective marketplaces. Structural equation modeling as a data analysis tool has been used in this article. Theoretical and empirical work shows that knowledge varies from organization to organization and is often linked to positive business results. The knowledge-based theory also considers knowledge to be a distinct strategic resource and thus sees the organization as a living, changing thing that develops in response to new information. Top management must place a high value on information, and establish and maintain knowledge-sharing procedures that drive open innovation and the appropriate levels of organizational performance if organizations are to remain competitive in today's rapidly changing business climate. Additionally, it has been argued that valuing knowledge and knowledge sharing at the highest levels of an organization are highly valuable intangible resources that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need to boost open innovation and firm-level performance in order to compete successfully in today's fast-paced global marketplace. This research suggests that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have a wealth of knowledge-based resources and that these resources are crucial for maintaining high levels of open innovation and organizational success over time.

In the research methodology of the journal "Knowledge sharing" in "The International Journal of Information Management '' written by Osama F. Al-Kurdi, the methodology discusses narrative data analysis along with positivism philosophy. Higher education faculty and staff are the subjects of this investigation. The information was gathered via a survey addressed to colleges and institutions with links to the writers. At first, the poll was emailed to 1,000 academics from UK universities. They have a chancellor, vice chair, a trustee board, and many academic schools and departments. Because of this, the authors decided to gather questionnaire responses from academics all around the world, not only in the United Kingdom. This study's goals are met by its proposed conceptual model of the elements influencing faculty members' KS in HEIs. Previous investigations helped operationalize the theoretical design(De, 2021). Due to the low cost, speed, and ease of use of collecting answers from a lot of people, a questionnaire was devised to gather the data from the faculty. Expert experts and a representative sample of respondents pre-tested the questionnaire. All piloted measures indicated sufficient Cronbach α bigger than 0.70.

In the research methodology of the journal “Knowledge sharing" and "Knowledge sharing, knowledge transfer and SMEs: evolution, antecedents, outcomes and directions" written by Anand the methodology discusses the explanatory research design along with philosophy. Researchers followed the thorough literature review process. This section aids with repeatability and transparency by outlining each step in great detail. Only articles related to business and management research were considered for inclusion; other topics were disregarded while establishing the criteria for choosing publications. Researchers used References as the Analytic Units in a Co-Citation Analysis Researchers used a qualitative classification approach to comprehensively combine CCA-R and BCA-D findings. While analyzing the literature, bibliometric analyses (BA) often make use of mapping tools and methodologies. They used Visualization of Sciences Viewer (VOSviewer1), a piece of scientific mapping software, to display our bibliometric information. VOS viewer’s rapid dissemination makes it superior to competing software in terms of how simple it is to use while performing a literature study. The standard procedure for business analysis.

In the methodology in knowledge sharing in “Knowledge transfer in university–industry research partnerships: a review” written by Esther de Wit-de Vries, the methodology describes the quantitative research strategy along with exploratory. The researcher employed the ideas and method of a systematic review of the literature of others in the area of U-I research. There were several issues with the search procedure that the researcher ran across when completing our evaluation. The fundamental issue was the lack of uniformity in the language used to characterize research collaborations, academic involvement, and the sharing of information. Second, there is a dearth of material on the topic of knowledge transfer and the administration of such partnerships in the academic literature. Hence, information transfer and knowledge management, when combined with other relevant terms such as academic engagement and research collaborations, had minimal outcomes. In developing the technique, the researcher followed the general structure of a systematic review and its analytical process, but they took a novel approach to the task of looking for and identifying relevant material.

The quality of the above articles is effective as they describe the content of knowledge sharing among employees in different organizations and sectors. However, certain improvements could be made to the articles. The articles could have described more about the elements of research methodologies such as approach, design and strategy, and data analysis in a more specific manner.

Recommendations

In the article "Knowledge sharing in higher education" a narrative data analysis could be used to improve the analysis of the primary data collection results. This will allow the researcher to illustrate the experiences of the students more effectively and descriptively. On the other hand, secondary data collection could also be considered to demonstrate knowledge sharing in higher education. There is a lot of previous research that has been conducted on knowledge sharing in higher education. Using the contents of previous research could have enhanced the effectiveness of the present research article.

In the article “Impact of knowledge sharing” written by Farhan Ahmad and Muhaimin Karim, the themes could be explained in a specified manner. This would have allowed the audience to gather brief knowledge about the topic. Furthermore, the research approach, design, and strategy could have been explained to increase the effectiveness of the research. On the other hand, a Saunders Research Onion model can help in improving the methodology section of the research. With the Saunders Onion Model, definite elements that could have been used in the research will be known to the researcher.

In the article “Motivating knowledge sharing in Knowledge management system” using a mixed method strategy is one of the recommended options to increase the effectiveness of the research. This will allow analyzing both secondary and primary data in the research methodology section. Analyzing both data will allow the researcher in gathering numerous information about knowledge sharing through knowledge management systems.

In the article “Managing Knowledge in a High Tech Company: Knowledge Sharing about Information Systems” a narrative analysis could have been used with an explanatory research design method. An explanatory research design can help the researcher in explaining the concerns and responses of the individuals selected for the survey in the company (Dodds, 2020).

For the article “The Knowledge Transaction: A Model of Knowledge Sharing within Organizations” the sample can be increased. This is one of the recommendations for the present article. Increasing the sample size will allow the researcher to gain a more extensive idea about knowledge sharing and the ways employees react when working for an organization. Increasing the sample size will also allow the researcher to gather numerous responses. Therefore, during the data analysis phase, the researcher will be easily able to gather reliable and authentic data for analyzing the topic.

In the article written by Wayan Edi Arsalan, the researcher can use thematic analysis to gather more precise and descriptive information about the topic. This will allow the researcher to explain the elements and phenomena in a more precise manner. Furthermore, the researcher can also use positivist research philosophy to develop the effectiveness of the research. A deductive approach can also be used to develop hypotheses of the research from a general to a more specific observation.

In the article written by Sanjay Kumar Singh, narrative data analysis can be used by the researcher. This will allow in narrating the ideas and opinions of the respondents in a more specific manner. The use of narrative data analysis can help the researcher to narrate the experience of the respondents and develop the content of the research based on the responses. The narrative data analysis will allow the researcher to identify biased responses of the participants. An exploratory research design can also be used to enhance the effectiveness of the research. The exploratory research design will help the researcher in exploring the topic to a more advanced level (Mukherjee, 2021). Additional information and knowledge about the topic and research methodology can be identified with the assistance of exploratory research design.

In the article written by Osama F. Al-Kurdi, the researcher can use secondary data and information for gathering additional sources of information. With the use of secondary data, themes can be created to illustrate knowledge sharing in higher education. On the other hand, the Saunders Onion model can also be taken into consideration by the researcher to identify the relevant elements that can be used to perform secondary research. The topic consists of numerous researchers in the past which may help individuals to illustrate the information in a more specific manner.

In the article written by Anand, the individual can use a mixed method strategy to mitigate the complications of understanding the methodologies (Pandey, 2021). Numerous readers are not aware of bibliometric analysis which may lead to issues in the understanding of the topic. In the nursing mix method strategy, the researcher can illustrate the collected secondary and primary data with the help of narrative and thematic data analysis. Furthermore, responses to the questionnaires can also be shown in the form of graphs and visuals which will allow the researcher to explain the information more contextually. On the other hand, exploratory and explanatory research designs can be used to support the research methodology section of the present research (Mishra, 2022).

In the article stated by Esther de Wit-de Vries, the scholar can use SPSS analysis for analyzing the data of the present research. SPSS analysis allows for performing effective data analysis for the survey results. A systematic literature review consumes time in starting research. Hence, the researcher can choose primary research methods instead of secondary research. Primary research for the present topic will provide (Newman, 2020) detailed information and knowledge about the topic by gathering specific responses from the participants and individuals. Explanatory research can be used in the present article to illustrate the collected data and evidence. The researcher can also follow a quantitative research strategy for performing the research (Snyder, 2019). With the use of a quantitative research strategy, the researcher can focus separately on primary data and information.

Conclusion

The articles presented in the task are effective for gathering knowledge on the relevant topic. It can be concluded that the research methodologies that have been depicted in the task provide brief knowledge and ideas about different methods that can be used in primary and secondary research. It has been found that a mixed method is one of the effective strategies for gathering numerous ideas and knowledge about the topic. With the use of mixed methodologies, primary and secondary data, and information can be gathered for different research. Narrative data analysis is relevant to be used in primary research as it allows for illustrating the experience and responses of the participants in a more specific manner.

References

Ahmad, F. and Karim, M., 2019. Impacts of knowledge sharing: a review and directions for future research. Journal of Workplace Learning.

Al-Ababneh, M.M., 2020. Linking ontology, epistemology and research methodology. Science & Philosophy, 8(1), pp.75-91.

Al-Kurdi, O.F., El-Haddadeh, R. and Eldabi, T., 2020. The role of organizational climate in managing knowledge sharing among academics in higher education. International Journal of Information Management, 50, pp.217-227.

Analoui, B. (n.d.) Knowledge sharing in Higher Education.

Anand, A., Muskat, B., Creed, A., Zutshi, A. and Csepregi, A., 2021. Knowledge sharing, knowledge transfer and SMEs: evolution, antecedents, outcomes, and directions. Personnel Review, 50(9), pp.1873-1893.

Arsawan, I.W.E., Koval, V., Rajiani, I., Rustiarini, N.W., Supartha, W.G. and Suryantini, N.P.S., 2022. Leveraging knowledge sharing and innovation culture into SMEs sustainable competitive advantage. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 71(2), pp.405-428.

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De Wit-de Vries, E., Dolfsma, W.A., van der Windt, H.J. and Gerkema, M.P., 2019. Knowledge transfer in university–industry research partnerships: a review. The Journal of Technology Transfer, 44, pp.1236-1255.

Dodds, S. and Hess, A.C., 2020. Adapting research methodology during COVID-19: lessons for transformative service research. Journal of Service Management, 32(2), pp.203-217.

Mishra, S.B. and Alok, S., 2022. Handbook of research methodology.

Mukherjee, S.P., 2019. A guide to research methodology: An overview of research problems, tasks and methods.

Newman, M. and Gough, D., 2020. Systematic reviews in educational research: Methodology, perspectives and application. Systematic reviews in educational research: Methodology, perspectives and application, pp.3-22.

Pandey, P. and Pandey, M.M., 2021. Research methodology tools and techniques. Bridge Center.

Singh, S.K., Gupta, S., Busso, D. and Kamboj, S., 2021. Top management knowledge value, knowledge sharing practices, open innovation, and organizational performance. Journal of Business Research, 128, pp.788-798.

Snyder, H., 2019. Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of business research, 104, pp.333-339.

Urwin, C., 2000. The Knowledge Transaction: A Model of Knowledge Sharing within Organisations.

Wang, S. et al. (2014) Motivating Knowledge Sharing in Knowledge Management Systems: A Quasi–Field Experiment. Journal of management. [Online] 40 (4), 978–1009.