The evelopment of a knowledge management (KM) model for the Faculty of Nursing, Ratchathani University

Abstract

The purposes of this research comprised: (1) to examine context and conditions previously to KM operation before developing a KM model for the Faculty of Nursing, Ratchathani University Thailand, (2) to develop a KM model for the Faculty of Nursing and (3) to investigate factors affecting success in KM for the Faculty of Nursing. 85 nursing faculty members of the university including 27 administrators in academic year 2006 were as population. Mixed methodologies were conducted to 53 nursing faculties from main campus sited in Ubon Ratchathani Province, and 47 ones in Udon Thani Campus who were as the sample gained by voluntary consent. Respectively 7 and 8 of them were administrators. They were divided into 7 groups to participate, to construct and to implement the KM model which was based on participatory research, developmental plan one. The instruments composed of constructed model and questionaires. The constructed model was tried out in the Faculty of Nursing both at the two places for 8 months. The team was shaped into committees, advisory Committee, and 7 major groups for knowledge management operation which was based on the knowledge management process. They included classifying knowledge, building new knowledge, sharing  knowledge, implementing knowledge, disseminating knowledge, established of knowledge management center and evaluating knowledge. Five sets of the questionaires with Likert scale used for gathering 5 dimensional data of the model. They were a knowledge management survey, appropriateness, factors affecting success, an evaluation form on success and members' satisfaction. The reliability were .8880, .8989, 8814, .8981, and .8999, respectively, by applying Cronbach alpha coefficient. Content analysis was applied to investigate qualitative data while means and standard deviation was done to quantitative one. The research results were as follows:  1) Before developing the KM model, in some elements, the nursing faculties had operated activities which were not systematic. However, not any single of them was a clear model.  2) The constructed model consisted of the 3 phases. They were preparing subjects, configuration with detailed flow chart and the model implementation following with network construction accompanied with strengthening. Respectively, each of them was within 3,6 and 3 steps inside. Phases and steps were serial. It was confirmed that the first step of the third phase comprised 7 sequent KM processes.  3) During the model implementation, there were remarkable phenomena which were essential to KM operation. They comprised 5 concrete activities such as systematic KM, KM centers, Building knowledge website and network, Getting the body of knowledge and finally sharing and transferring knowledge. The three groups of The Faculty of Nursing, Ratchathani University in main campus had gotten 53 tacit knowledge and 67 explicit one while the four groups in Udonthani campus had gotten 45 tacit knowledge and 120 explicit one.  4) After the model implementation, totally 285 titles acting as the body of knowledge in work performance were obtained. The faculties in every group rated towards the KM model on satisfaction as a whole, on the success as a whole and on appropriateness in high level.  5) The factors affecting success in knowledge management for the Faculty of Nursing included: supports from administrators in the university especially ones in Faculty of Nursing from all levels, knowledge management centers, knowledge management culture of faculties and knowledge management strategies through the use of well-trained knowledge workers, trust, synergy, accompanied with participation. Using the working principle of H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, which included : systematic study of data, regarding, organizational