Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Theology and Islamic Studies, Payam-e Noor University, Iran.
2 Associate Professor, Department of Knowledge and Information Science, Payam-e Noor University, Iran.
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Business Management and Information Technology Management, Payam-e Noor University, Iran.
4 Master of Knowledge and Information Science, Payam-e Noor University, Iran.
Abstract
Introduction
Personal knowledge management (PKM) discusses self-efficacy and making people more valuable to the organization, thus creating more value for each employee. Public libraries are one of the service organizations in the society. The application of knowledge management strategies in a knowledge-based institution such as a public library, which is engaged in the supply of knowledge, has a double importance. The use of knowledge management (KM) helps knowledge-based organizations such as libraries to turn the knowledge in organizations into a permanent resource. Investigating the PKM of public library employees can lead to more productivity of employees. Accordingly, the present study investigates the relationship between the PKM of public library librarians and the productivity of human resources in these libraries.
Literature Review
A review of the conducted research shows that one of the influencing factors on employee productivity is PKM. An operational definition of participation in PKM is that PKM is an individual's perception of knowledge that involves the degree of participation in the organization's knowledge management (OKM) activities (Tseng and Fan, 2011). PKM ensures that people acquire, create, and share knowledge, and by influencing the KM architecture, it improves decision-making, efficiency, and productivity. (Butt; Nawa; Hussain; Sousa; Wang; Sumbal, Muhammad Saleem & Shujahat, 2019; Shujahat; Razzaq; Wang; & Durst, 2019). There is a positive relationship between KM and employee productivity. In other words, productivity is a direct result of KM (Shoujahat et al., 2019). Hence, PKM participation, as an aspect or a micro-component of KM, should affect productivity (But et al., 2019).
Methodology
The type of research is descriptive-analytical based on the basic purpose and method of data collection. The statistical population of this study includes all employees of public libraries in Khuzestan province in 2020 (378 people) who were selected as a statistical sample of the research by simple random sampling method and with the help of Cochran's table. To collect data, Mahmoudi and Bagheri’s questionnaire (2013) in the field of personal knowledge management and Hershey and Goldsmith’s questionnaire (1980) in the field of human resource productivity have been used. In this study, a one-sample t-test to determine the significance of differences between variables, a Pearson correlation test to examine the presence or absence of a relationship between two variables, and a two-sample independent t-test and variance test in SPSS software 24 have been used.
Results
Considering the effect of KM on organizational performance, librarians manage their learning and increase information literacy and continuous learning in order to maintain their position and the organization. The results of this research showed that the librarians of the public libraries of Khuzestan province in all aspects of PKM (self-learning evaluation, self-learning management, information literacy, Exploration skills, Network of knowledge assistants, knowledge awareness, perception skills, creative skills, collaborative skills, interest variation and personal knowledge management) are at an optimal level. The feeling of wanting to grow and progress in the workplace leads employees to self-learning, self-evaluation and adaptation to the work environment. In this regard, the results obtained regarding the variable of productivity of human resources of librarians show that the dimensions of ability, feedback, credibility, and adaptability, related to the variable of productivity of human resources are at a favorable level. Other dimensions such as understanding and recognition, organizational support, and motivation are not at a favorable level. Investigating the relationship between human resource productivity and PKM of public library librarians in Khuzestan province, the results show that the dimensions of ability, understanding and recognition, and adaptability have a positive and significant relationship with PKM. However, other dimensions such as organizational support, motivation, feedback, and credit are not related to PKM. Also, there is a positive and significant relationship between the dimensions of PKM and human resource productivity, only in the dimensions of skill and exploration, knowledge awareness, and collaborative skill. In other dimensions, there is no relationship between these two variables.
Discussion
Based on the results of this research, PKM plays a significant role in the productivity of human resources in public libraries. Considering the effect of KM on the productivity of the organizational force, librarians should try to manage their learning and increase information literacy and continuous learning in order to maintain their position and the organization. The present research was conducted for the first time among the employees of public libraries in Khuzestan province.
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