COMMONWEALTH ASSOCATION FOR EDUCATION,
ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT
ISSN NO 2322-0147
VOLUME 2 ISSUE 6
JUNE 2014
Challenges and Problems of Knowledge
Management in Egyptian Higher Education
Institutions
(EDITOR-IN-CHIEF)
DR MUJIBUL HASAN SIDDIQUI
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION,
ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY,
ALIGARH-202002,
UTTAR PRADESH,
INDIA
website: www.ocwjournalonline.com
Excellence International Journal of Education and
Research (Multi- subject journal)
Excellence International Journal Of Education And Research VOLUME 2 ISSUE 6
ISSN 2322-0147
Challenges and problems of knowledge Management
In Egyptian higher Education Institutions
Dr Hany R Alalfy
Education department ,
faculty of education,
hail university,hail,
kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Deanship of development and quality,
hail university,hail,
kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Mohamed A. A. Elbarbari
Department of Comparative Education and Educational Administration,
College of Education
Zagazig University,
Zagazig,
Egypt.
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the problems and challenges facing the
Egyptian higher education institutions that hinder its abilities of applying knowledge
management. Study Methodology: The study used a descriptive approach for its suitability for
the nature of the study. Problem of the study there are many obstacles that confronts the
application of knowledge management in Egyptian higher education institutions so the main
question that the study aims at answering is what are the most remarkable Challenges and
Problems of the application of Knowledge Management in Egyptian higher education
institutions? The results of the study coming up with the most remarkable Challenges and
Problems of the application of Knowledge Management in Egyptian higher education
institutions.
Key words : Challenges and Problems, Knowledge Management, Egyptian higher education
institutions.
Introduction
The management of knowledge has increasingly become a topic of interest in education
circles. it refers to The processes through which organizations develop, organize, and share
knowledge-knowledge management (KM)-can lead to a source of sustainable competitive
advantage (Hatch & Dyer, 2004). According to( Omerze et al ,2011) knowledge management
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consists of knowledge generation, application and exploitation. Knowledge management
involves efforts to maximize institutions performance through the creation and exchange of
knowledge. Knowledge management is especially important for educational institutions , where
success depends upon the generation, utilization, and uniqueness of their knowledge base. Such
institutions are characterized as having knowledge as both their main factor in achievement its
goals .
Today, Egyptian higher education institutions are facing new competitive forces. We have
entered an age of knowledge in which educated people and their ideas have become strategic
commodities essential to our security, prosperity, and social well-being. As the 21st century
opens, tertiary education is facing unprecedented challenges, arising from the convergent
impacts of globalization, the increasing importance of knowledge as a principal driver of growth,
and the information and communications revolution. Tertiary education is indeed central to the
creation of the intellectual capacity on which knowledge production and utilization depend, and
to the promotion of the lifelong-learning practices necessary for updating people's knowledge
and skills. (Duffy ,2001), Egyptian higher education institutions To be able to effectively
manage their knowledge resources, in the light of problems and challenges that suffer from it so
it needs to have appropriate KM framework in place.” KM framework refers to integration of
organizational knowledge in organizational culture, organizational information technology
infrastructure and the organization's store of individual and collective experiences, learning,
insights, and values (Allee, 1997).
The aim of this paper is to explore the problems and challenges facing the Egyptian higher
education institutions that hinder its abilities of applying knowledge management. Such an
understanding would enable practitioners to be aware of the impact different problems types
might have on KM processes in Egyptian higher education institutions and, based on that,
prepare possible future activities for better managing scholarly knowledge in a certain cultural
setting or changing organizational culture through appropriate initiatives.
Background
1- Knowledge and knowledge management processes in higher education
institutions
Knowledge management constitutes a planned activity in an enterprise and encompasses the
identification of key knowledge, generation of new necessary knowledge, and transfer of
knowledge between and among employees. All these processes must be embedded in the overall
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functioning of higher education institutions, must form an integral part of the culture of
knowledge, and, in particular, must be based on relevant information technology. Considering
the great extent to which knowledge management relates to employees, knowledge management
must be harmonized with human resources management policy. (Omerzel , et al,2011).
The knowledge based view supposes that the capability to create and invest knowledge is the
most important source of sustainable competitive advantage to higher education institutions,
Management support is the most important factor of systematic knowledge management. The
growing importance of knowledge naturally calls for its systematic management. (Omerzel , et
al,2011). Systematic knowledge management in the organization includes efforts to maximize
the success of the organization through the creation and exchange of knowledge and skills
(Salmi, 2002) . In order to be able to manage knowledge, one has to understand what knowledge
is and how to make efficient use of it. Efficient knowledge management has gained importance
because of the very need of the who wish to perform successfully in a competitive market to
maximize the efficient use of all of their resources.
1-1
Knowledge defined
The researchers Differed about the definition of knowledge; because of the diversity of their
specialties, thus the multiplicity of perspectives (Duffy ,2001), and though it looks at knowledge
is seen as information scalable communication , understanding and comprehension by the
concerned individuals; can be used and invested usefully , may be new and innovative , or they
apply something new expands previous knowledge or modifies them( Nonaka et al. , 1995).. and
it is known as a group of facts , expertise's and experiences that are used to interpret the
information related to a particular circumstance or situation and deal with this situation and that
situation. .( Martin, Jeffery S; Russell, Marion,2005) .
In light of the previous view of some definitions of knowledge can be viewed as a group of
experiences (information’s, directions, values , facts ) that the university human resources gained
that can be used and invested in the improvement and development of university performance.
1-2 Types of knowledge
in management literature, managing knowledge has become increasingly important. According
to Saint-Onge (1996), there are two types of knowledge:
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Explicit knowledge : explicit knowledge can be expressed in numbers and words and shared
formally and systematically in the form of data, specifications, manuals, and so on. It is part of
everyday professional life, exemplified by manuals, books and articles and thus this type of
knowledge can easily be captured, and then shared with others either through thought courses or
through books for self-reading.( Adhikari ,2010)
Tacit knowledge: that includes insights, intuitions, and hunches, tacit knowledge is difficult to
express and formalize, and is, therefore, difficult to share. It includes skills and "know how" that
we have inside each of us and cannot be shared easily. It is embedded in practices of the people
of an organization. This kind of knowledge is acquired over several years. Tacit knowledge also
has a taken-for-granted dimension. This dimension consists of schemata, mental models, beliefs
and perceptions deeply ingrained into our psyche and it is not only shared but also is taken as
given ( Nonaka et al. , 1995).
1-3 Knowledge use
( Duffy ,2001), believes the higher education institutions that will flourish in the future will be
those that make best use of the knowledge they hold and are able to exploit this through
continuous training and organizational learning, ( Hollsopple and Joshi, 2000). refer to ,
improved knowledge use can be extremely beneficial and result in the acceleration of knowledge
dissemination within a relatively wide context. As knowledge is used and adapted in the
organization, new knowledge is created and applied in a cumulative and iterative manner.
although using of knowledge in institutions is not always easily achieved, owing to a number
of barriers. (Garcia, Elaine, ; Fenio Annansingh , Ibrahim Elbeltagi,2011).highlighted the
barriers to knowledge use: knowledge, attitudes/motivation, behavior and external barriers. Each
of these factors can be concluded as resulting from individual characteristics or organizational
characteristics such as culture, positioning, technology, leadership and motivation.
1-4 knowledge creation
Knowledge for its own sake has little advantage for the organization unless is it put into action,
in other words unless it is managed effectively .Knowledge creation starts with people sharing
their internal tacit knowledge by socializing with other people or by obtaining it in digital or
analogue form (Garcia, Elaine, ; Fenio Annansingh , Ibrahim Elbeltagi,2011)). The shared
knowledge is then internalized by other people which generates new knowledge. This newly
created knowledge is again shared with other people and the process begins again. It has no use
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if organizations have people with intellectual capital who do not share it((Garcia, Elaine, ; Fenio
Annansingh , Ibrahim Elbeltagi,2011).
This implies that people and institutions should continuously renew and create more
knowledge .The competitive advantage lies in people's skills and knowledge and the
organization’s ability to nurture the concept of lifelong learning .
2- Knowledge management in higher education institutions
2-1 Concept of knowledge management
Quintas, Lefrere and Jones (1997) define knowledge management as a process of continuous
management of all types and forms of knowledge with a view to realizing the set goals, fully
exploiting existing knowledge and creating new opportunities. Similar to this is the definition
given by (Duffy 2001), according to which knowledge management constitutes a formal process
which ensures efficient simultaneous use of knowledge by employees, technology and work
process and the transfer of knowledge to the right individuals at the right time. ( Jafari, Sepideh;
Abbaspour, Abbas,; Azizishomami, Mostafa , 2013) assumes the knowledge management as a
group of policies and instructions which are able to create, promote and organizing the
knowledge for achieving the organization goals.
2-2 Domains of Knowledge Management
four domains - leadership, Organization , technology, and measurement - and their related
strategies and application to knowledge management in higher education are presented.
2-2-1 Leadership
Leadership is essential for knowledge management systems in matters such as decision making,
assigning tasks, and integrating and communicating with people .(Omona, Walter; van der
Weide, Theo ; Lubega, Jude,2010) , and Leadership is a constituent part of the three elements of
the framework: higher education process/knowledge activities, enabling ICT and KM processes.
KM involves implementing changes that may not easily gain acceptance in organizations unless
the leadership mobilizes the support of all knowledge users to provide a conducive environment
for widespread sharing of knowledge.( Martin, Jeffery S; Russell, Marion,2005) . ( Martin,
Jeffery S; Russell, Marion,2005 )emphasizes the roles of leadership in knowledge management
by delineating the work tasks of "Chief Knowledge Officer." Leadership tasks of this role
include: help the organization formulate strategy for development and exploitation of
knowledge; support implementation by introducing knowledge management techniques; provide
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coordination for knowledge specialists; oversee the development of a knowledge infrastructure;
and facilitate and support knowledge communities.
2-2-2 Organization
Organization is another constituent part of the domains of km: higher education
process/knowledge generating activities, enabling ICT and KM processes. The value of
knowledge creation and collaboration should be intertwined throughout an organization and
operational processes must align with the organization's KM framework and strategy, including
all performance metrics and objectives. While operational needs dictate organizational
alignment, a KM framework must be developed to facilitate KM throughout higher education
institutions..( Omona, Walter; van der Weide, Theo ; Lubega, Jude, 2010) Organization structure
is vital for how it harnesses the knowledge, and strategically directs it towards agility and
competitiveness. Introducing KM requires organizational change and inevitably acts as a catalyst
to transform the organization culture. In order to effect changes in the higher education sector,
KM must be part and parcel of the higher education process,( Omona, Walter; van der Weide,
Theo ; Lubega, Jude, 2010)
2-2-3 Technology
Technology is more than a mechanical and physical supplementary artifact. Technology refers
to the infrastructure of devices and systems that enhance the development and distribution of
knowledge across an organization. . However, the over-emphasis on technology might cause
conceptual confusion between information management and knowledge management.
Technology includes critical strategies of the structural dimension necessary to mobilize social
capital for the creation of new knowledge: web-based networks, electronic databases, and so on
(Thomas et al., 2001).Based on the literature review, technology is defined as the tools and
processes that foster, facilitate, and sustain collective and individual activities that help share,
transfer, and create knowledge. Technology supports knowledge management in many ways - it
enhances the organizational capability in storing, retrieving, transferring, sharing, and creating
knowledge. (Duffy ,2001).
2-2-4 Measurement
The literature defines measurement as an instrument to find appropriate metrics for effective
and efficient knowledge management. Measurement, as a domain of knowledge management,
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serves to identify knowledge assets and capabilities of an organization and to align the
measurement activities with organizational strategies (Thomas et al., 2001). Measurement refers
to the assessment methods of knowledge management and their relationships to organizational
performance. In particular, measuring organizational performance should include a multitude of
factors related to organizational culture and politics vis-à-vis financial operations and budget
allocations (Gumport & Pusser, 1995).
The fundamental assumption of most measurement models and practices adopted in higher
education is that measurement plays a critical role in diagnosing the various problems, offering
guides on planning and implementation, and utilizing the results to improve academic and
administrative programs as a whole. Through these efforts, some measurement approaches
attempt to identify optimal conditions and factors such as standardized test scores of students,
financial resources, institutional performance, the role of governments and legislation, and the
autonomy and involvement of faculty (Brown, J. and Duguid, 1991),)
2-3 Objectives of knowledge management in higher education institutions
At its core, KM assumes a willingness and ability to participate in information sharing. KM
participants are employees who are selected and retained for their contributions to the goals of
the institution, making their role in an KM-oriented environment somewhat prescribed. (Duffy
,2001). However, in higher education institutions, students and other individuals might come to
the organization with different perceptions of ownership and privacy as well as varied abilities to
interact within a digital environment. Factors that have influenced the creation of a digital divide
in the larger society may continue to have an impact on the organizational culture and
technology of a KM institution. (Russell, 2006) .
The objectives of KM in higher education institutions are to promote knowledge growth,
knowledge communication and knowledge preservation and entails managing knowledge
resources in order to facilitate access and reuse of knowledge As a key progress factors in higher
education, (Steels, 1993) KM aims at capturing explicit and tacit knowledge in order to facilitate
the access, sharing, and reuse of that knowledge as well as create new knowledge and facilitate
organizational learning. To succeed, KM must be guided by a strategic vision to fulfill primary
organizational objectives such as improving knowledge sharing and cooperative work,
disseminating best practices, improving relationships with the external world, and preserving
past knowledge for reuse. (Omona,et al 2010) ).
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This is meaning The objective of knowledge management is not knowledge itself, but the
manage of human resources who own such knowledge.
2-4 Knowledge management Processes in higher education institutions
KM process can be divided into four different aspects, i.e. Knowledge acquisition, knowledge
creation, knowledge storage, and knowledge application (Duffy ,2001).
involving seven KM
sub-processes: 1) Socialisation, 2) Externalisation, 3) Combination, 4) Internalisation, 5)
Exchange, 6) Direction and 7) Routine (Nonaka, 1994). The idea is for an organisation to utilise
the KM processes and sub-processes to create and build up its knowledge sources and resources
and make them accessible and/or available wherever and whenever they are needed through a
variety of KM mechanisms. Note: In general, from this point on, when we speak of KM process,
it should be understood that the term also includes its knowledge conversion sub-processes,
unless we specifically refer to a KM sub-process.( Annamalai, Muthukkaruppan ; Salleh,
Kalsom; Amin, Salmiah,2013)
Knowledge acquisition :( Adhikari, Dev Raj,2010) all organizations should have a strategy to
guide the acquisition of new knowledge. In order to have a viable future, an organization must
have processes, which obtain new knowledge for the organization to apply. Normally knowledge
can be acquired:
- by obtaining from outside organization, purchasing it, hiring experts, or licensing patents; and
- by creating inside the organization doing formal research activities; and
- by acquiring experienced experts.
Knowledge that has been created should be stored and categorized systematically so that it
can be easily and conveniently retrieved, becoming -knowledge retrieval" (Duffy, 2001). and
appropriate for the dissemination of knowledge. Knowledge to be stored needs -refining" in
order to be useful and valuable for the organization; managing such knowledge is arguably the
strategic concern for many organization . It will work as organizational intelligence and for
higher education are used to the competitive advantage of the partner (Adhikari, Dev Raj,2010)
The final process of KM is knowledge application, so that it can be of value to the
organizations: it can make the organizations attain the effectiveness of KM. This also implies
knowledge transfer and knowledge utilization . Knowledge transfer can be undertaken in many
ways, officially or unofficially, i.e. through various media, conferences, study tours, change of
positions or duties, supervising-system, and teamwork (Ranjan and Khalil, 2007).
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3- Reality of Application of knowledge management in Egyptian higher
education institutions
The Application of knowledge management in Egyptian higher education institutions confronted
many problems and challenges hindered reaching the aims of the application , so we well tackle
this axis throw analyzing these problems and challenges.
3-1 Problems Related to Knowledge Management in Egyptian higher education
Despite of the growing interest of development the Egyptian higher education system, throw
application of some current trends like knowledge management , but there are many research
that indicates many problems that hinder the application of knowledge management in Egyptian
higher education institutions including
Interest in higher education institutions of the Egyptian teaching large numbers of students
exceeds its capacity, which affects the production and exchange of knowledge. The absence of
mechanisms for cooperation especially in the field of scientific studies and scientific research
between higher education institutions of the Egyptian leading to difficulty in the generation and
dissemination of knowledge and investment. (Mohammed Abdul Hameed and Nahla alsaeed,
2013). The weakness of job satisfaction for faculty members and the large number of
administrative burdens, which reduces the productivity of scientific knowledge, Lack of
awareness and interest of some leaders to produce knowledge.The low level of some faculty
members in foreign languages, especially English. (Mohammed Abdul Hameed and Nahla
alsaeed, 2013), Lack of teamwork in the area of research, and the scarcity of joint research
projects.( Nahla Abdul Qader,2004) Severe shortage of books and scientific research and modern
references needed by researchers to conduct their research(Mohammed Khamis,2013), The
dominant culture does not encourage the production and dissemination of knowledge , lack of
funding for projects, knowledge management , lack of support and commitment from senior
leadership,( Wafa Samaha, 2012), Lack of training on the management of knowledge , and then
the inability to correct application of knowledge management (Yasser Abdel Hafez, 2011).
Lack of organizational culture that encourages the production of knowledge.( Nahla Abdul
Qader,2004) Insufficient qualified administrators to application of knowledge management ,
Simultaneously with an increasing number of Egyptian universities, the Arab oil-rich countries
opened their universities which depended on Egyptian academic staff attracted by high salaries.
Employment in the Arab states was selective, taking the best qualified staff from Egypt.( Ahmed
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Belal and Irina Springuel,2012), the lack of motivation for produce of knowledge , funds allocated
for attending conferences, travel, research equipment, books and scientific journals are
continuously decreasing , The lack of procedures for monitoring research can lead to plagiarism,
which is rampant in Egypt, academic writing skills are not widely taught. (Ahmed Belal and
Irina Springuel, 2014)
Listed above are the problems are facing application of knowledge management inside the
Egyptian higher education institutions ,that refer to the fail of some institutions in knowledge
management application .
The solution to these problems requires an elimination of its causes, those causes that have
hindered the success of the application of knowledge management in Egyptian higher education
institutions, and these problems generally indicate lack of proper planning for the application of
knowledge management, and lack of conviction of some leaders of institutions of higher
education to apply and then does not have a commitment with those leaders to provide what you
need from the possibilities and resources. And these problems will continue to exist if they do
not have accurate and objective solutions regarding the proper planning, the availability of
trained human capabilities, availability of financial resources, conviction and commitment of
leaders to the application of knowledge management
3-2 Challenges Related to Knowledge Management in Egyptian higher
education
Higher education, in Egypt, is facing unprecedented challenges at the beginning of the 21st
century, arising from the convergent impacts of globalization, the increasing importance of
knowledge as a main driver of growth, and the information and communication revolution.
However, opportunities are coming out of these challenges, one of these is the role of education
in general, and tertiary education in particular, in the construction of knowledge economies.(
Galal Abdel Hamid et al,2011) Rehab Y. Ghazala refers to Although Egypt has one of the largest
higher education systems in Africa, and the developing world, higher education in Egypt
currently suffers from a failure of Appling knowledge management . This failure is a result of
many challenges that the Egyptian system faces: (European commission,2012, Rehab Y.
Ghazala,2012 )
3-2-1 Lack of academic freedom
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Egyptian higher education institutions suffer from the lack of academic freedom. Monitoring of
student activities, control over course design and restrictions on course materials, censorship of
library books and resources, and repression of researchers and research topics are just a few
examples of how academic freedom is only a concept many students and scholars read about in
Egypt, but might never experience.( Rehab Y. Ghazala,2012)
In most Egyptian educational institutions academic freedom is almost nonexistent. The
government of Egypt has established a complete system to ensure full control on the academic
environment, This control extends to student activities, represented in repression of student
unions, student clubs, and student publications. The government, through the university president
and faculty deans, reviews and controls all course objectives, materials and outcomes. ( Rehab
Y. Ghazala,2012)
3-2-2 Reduction of financing
Budgets for Egyptian higher education were barely sufficient to keep faculty above the poverty
line. According to the World Bank, spending on scientific research in 2009 added up to only 0.21
percent of GDP, far less than that of the United States (2.9 percent). The meager allocations in
Egypt were just enough to pay for salaries, leaving little to support actual research projects or
equipment. Faculty of higher-education institutions were further confronted by the low quality of
high-school graduates. In reality, elementary and secondary education suffered more than highereducation because of meager resources, school overcrowding, lack of teacher training, and low
quality of books and other teaching aids. (Farouk El-Baz, 2013)
3-3-3 Educational curricula
Today’s higher education curricula are failing to adequately prepare Egyptian youth for
meaningful employment and productive careers in the every-changing global workplace.
Indeed, many commentators as well as surveyed employers commonly lament the poor
preparation of today’s university graduates who studied curricula that do not match the needs of
the economy and rapidly-changing labor market. Making the point that Egypt’s students are
poorly prepared, OECD’s Secretary General Angel Gurria recently observed that 600,000 job
vacancies went unfilled in 2012. This reveals that the linkage between Egyptian higher
education and the needs of the modern labor market is tenuous at best. Egyptian higher
education should take immediate steps to prepare its students for the demands of an everchanging labor market.( Anthony J. Perzigian , 2013)
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3-3-4 focus on rote learning for examinations
Pedagogical approaches to teaching are also problematic. Rather than being encouraged to
engage critically with the subject matter at hand, students are generally steered towards
memorization and rote-learning. This over-concentration on passive learning is exacerbated by a
lack of learning materials, library books, facilities and equipment. In many cases, students
therefore have neither academic nor physical stimulus, and this lack of engagement has longerterm implications for their levels of concentration and attainment. .( Louisa Loveluck,
2012)student testimonies are frequently critical of this approach. It seems that this style of
teaching has largely developed in response to an intense focus on examinations, a focus that
pervades the entire education system. In order to cover all the material in a fact-heavy syllabus –
in accordance with the centrally devised curriculum –.( Louisa Loveluck, 2012)
3-3-5 The absence of democracy and participation
This is clear through : The predominance of the bureaucratic style in most of the committees
responsible for policy making and/or decision making, The greatest percentage of the
recommendations regarding reforming educational management are made without real
interaction or participation by the real stakeholders, represented in parents, students.( Mona El
Baradei & Dr. Laila El Baradei, 2004).
3-3-6 deterioration of the research environment
A reason for the decline of research in Egypt are: the lack of resources along with the abuse of
those available, the lack of strategic planning for research and inadequately paid university staff.
(Ahmed Belal and Irina Springuel, 2014)
Research expenditure in Egypt is very low with the government being the major source of
funds for research activities. Government funding for R&D funding in 1996 accounted for 86%
of the total funds, foreign support was 10.8% and private funding only 3.4%. Egyptian
researchers are, as a result, among the worst paid researchers in Arab countries. The research in
hard sciences in Egypt also suffers from a deficiency in state-of-the-art equipment, which makes
advanced-technology research difficult to pursue. (Ahmed Belal and Irina Springuel, 2014)
3-3-7 passive personality to students
(Aboulghar, 2006 ) refers to Sadly, Egyptian university graduates are capable only of waiting
for orders and executing them. No thinking, no arguing, no questioning; no objecting and not
even dialoguing: a personality that does not (and cannot) create or think. This graduate is usually
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stuck with this type of passive personality for the rest of his or her life. So no matter how high he
climbs in the hierarchy, he still listens to the orders of those above and gives orders to those
below, leaving no room -- not the slightest possibility -- for thinking or questioning, not to
mention criticizing and hopefully improving. We then end up with a state of paralysis: a frozen
society unable to move, grow, develop or produce. Who would expect a great scientist, an
inventor or a philosopher to emerge from such a society?
The cultural programs in universities have been reduced to inviting religious figures to discuss
outdated matters or leaders of the ruling party to praise the government. No more wall-to- wall
student newspapers, which gave students opportunity to express themselves. Even what is called
"the small family," which gathers a group of students around a professor and together undertake
communal, cultural and sports activities, as well as arranging fieldtrips around the country, has
become useless after the intrusion of the police into every activity to the extent of prohibiting
certain staff members from being involved in any activities with students. (Aboulghar, 2006 )
It is clear from the above, Egyptian Higher education institutions are facing a variety of
challenges that are rooted in the limitations and constraints of their fiscal and human resources.
institutions need to continually address issues of efficiency and effectiveness in order to survive
in competitive environments.
Facing these challenges is not limited to human resources within those institutions (leaders,
subordinates) but requires cooperation between the major leaderships responsible for setting
educational policy for those institutions and workers inside, because responsibles within those
institutions are not able to alone to face those challenges, especially that the Egyptian higher
education system is semi-centralized , leaderships of these institutions cannot make vital
decisions only by reference to the highest authority
Results

Many Egyptian Higher education institutions are concerned with only developing their
capacity in information systems but are not also paying attention to improving the ability of
their staff to interpret this information. This means that the Egyptian Higher education
institutions have failed to invest in human capital that is able to interpret information produced
by the system .

KM processes are difficult to apply to institution operations. there are more reasons such
as there is a large amount of information and knowledge produced daily within the institutions
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still needs to be managed, all institutions activities and functions Operate under complex
regulations, rules, and laws and lack of support and commitment from leadership of institutions
these some main reasons can delay the process of KM implementation, and helping of
unsuccessful KM Implementation
•
Organizational culture is a major factor that resists KM implementation within the
institutions. KM will be successfully implemented within institution based on Spreading the
culture of production and sharing knowledge.
Recommendations
in order to improve upon the effectiveness of KM practices in Egyptian higher education
institutions it should be :
1. Provide a critical support mainly in terms of financial investment initiatives, an active role in
improving upon KM understanding and overcoming resistance to change due to KM
implementation.
2. Availability of knowledge repositories and document management systems etc. Besides,
availability of wireless network in higher education institutions.
3. Proper training and education on KM practices / benefits to all levels of employees including
top management with special emphasis on IT training.
4. Egyptian higher education institutions need to formulate and implement proper KM strategy
which should identify knowledge users, sources, processes and storage strategy.
5. There is a need to generate a conducive environment in Egyptian higher education institutions
for participation in conferences, seminars, educational summits, training sessions, panel
discussions.
6. Develop a mechanism to motivate (rewards ) others to produce, exchange and dissemination
of knowledge . Individuals expect a reward when they exchange knowledge with others.
Rewards can be both material or can involve recognition from group members .
CONCLUSIONS
Core activities in Higher education institutions are associated with knowledge creation ,
dissemination and learning. An important characteristic that is common to both these institutions
are that knowledge is power, since the main asset which determines the employability of
individuals is their knowledge. However, the greater challenge lies with the other two elements
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of knowledge management: in the creation of a knowledge environment, and the recognition of
knowledge as intellectual capital.
Analyzing the status quo of the current Egyptian higher education institutions revealed a set of
problems and challenges facing application of knowledge management, and affecting its quality
of application it. The situation will be even worse in the future if the current trends continue in
application.
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