The Impact of Knowledge Management Functions on the Organizational Excellence from the Perspective of the University of Al-Taif Staff

Transcription

1 The Impact of Knowledge Management Functions on the Organizational Excellence from the Perspective of the University of Al-Taif Staff * Dr. Atallah Basheer Alnaweigah Assistant Professor at College of Administrative and Financial Sciences - Taif University - Saudi Arabia. Abstract This study has aimed to assess the reality of knowledge management at the University of Al- Taif in addition to exploring its impact on increasing excellence of its employees. It included a random sample of administrative staff of different specialties and different administrative and functional ranks composed of (126) employees from the different colleges and departments of the university branch of Hawiye. The data analysis used the descriptive analysis of data, the multiple regression analysis and the analysis of variance (ANOVA). The study has found that there is a statistically significant impact of the knowledge management dimensions on the dimensions of organizational excellence among the staff of Al-Taif University. It has also found that there is a statistically significant difference in the sample individuals' estimates of the level of knowledge management which can be attributed to their functional and demographic characteristics (age, qualification and career level). The study has made a number of recommendations in the light of the findings. Keywords: knowledge management, Organizational Excellence. 1- Introduction: The human element is an important resource of the organization's resources, and one of its origins as it cannot achieve its goals without the presence of skilled trained human resources. It is also the cornerstone of the administrative process, the community's main objective and the organization's capital. Countries success in achieving their goals and expectations may be associated with the ability of their institutions to carry out the tasks assigned to them in the best way, and on the ability of these institutions to explore the elements that are affected by the human performance in terms of efficiency and productivity, which is reflected on the overall effectiveness of the organization. During the last few decades, knowledge management has become one of the basic and central themes in administration in most countries of the world. This was supported by the opportunities created by globalization and the resulting significant development in the field of communications and networking, especially the Internet. The modern communications system including the advanced technology has led to the widespread use and deep understanding of customers needs, and also business organizations have become more focused on building a competitive structure of intellectual capital assets, as the intellectual capital is considered an effective competitive weapon under the umbrella of the knowledge economy. The application of the knowledge management methodology in the modern organization provides it with new possibilities and unique competitive capabilities, as this approach provides it with wide capacities of information technology and information management. It also provides it with an accurate system of management and practice of the different functional processes. Additionally, it constitutes an integral and complementary role to the COPY RIGHT 2013 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 170

2 administration philosophy, beliefs, culture, entrances and trends in the practice of businesses and their management. The organizational excellence during the globalization era has become the main concern and the issue of debate involving various researchers, because the era of knowledge and information is no longer recognizing typical labor governed by functional and traditional specifications that were prevalent in the ancient bureaucratic pyramid, and it relies on the elements characterized by excellence and knowledge multiplicity and diversity of masters and subordinates, where the organization's achievement of excellent performance requires its staff to stay away from all that is considered as routine in the performance and behavior of most of the organizations and their adoption of vital and efficient systems. 2 - Problem of the Study: Despite the great acceleration of various organizations in dealing with the issues of knowledge, their goals are still limited to the narrow foreseeable goal represented by achieving technical advantages that can be used for competitive purposes. They have not dealt with the subject in its broader perspective as an integrating framework of knowledge, including administrative and industrial factors. Therefore, organizations of public sector are facing today prompt challenges represented by the difficulty of the strategic prediction of the organization future and the trends of its activities and objectives as well as the financial pressures, the bureaucratic complications and the legal frameworks that would influence its effectiveness and performance and prevent it from reaching the degree of excellence. Thus, the problem of the study is represented by the following question: What is the impact of knowledge management functions on the organizational excellence from the perspective of the staff of the University of Al-Taif? The study questions can be defined as follows: 1- What is the availability of knowledge management functions at the University of Al-Taif from the perspective of the respondents? 2- What is the descending order and the relative importance of the organizational excellence dimensions from the perspective of the respondents at the University of Al-Taif? 3- What is the relationship between knowledge management functions and organizational excellence dimensions from the perspective of the respondents at the University of Taif? 3- The Importance of the Study: 1- Discusses one of the new regulatory concepts especially for organizations that seek to adopt important strategies to enter the era of digital economy successfully, since the organizations are facing an increasing rate of competition day after day in a world that is moving towards globalization, open markets and e-commerce businesses. 2- The study is based on a scientific basic that contribute to supporting decision-makers in Al-Taif University to achieve organizational excellence on the grounds that the excellence is one of the main goals sought by the organizations in order to gain good reputation and leadership. 3- It contributes to opening the way for researchers to conduct research and future studies that may help organizations in achieving excellence. COPY RIGHT 2013 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 171

3 4- Objectives of the Study: 1- Provide an appropriate theoretical framework that illustrates the impact of the availability of knowledge management functions on the organizational excellence. 2- light the most important functions performed by knowledge management from the perspective of the respondents in Al-Taif University. 3- Identify the descending order of the organizational excellence dimensions at the University of Al-Taif. 4- Explore the relationship between knowledge management functions and organizational excellence among the staff of the University of Al-Taif. 5- Make some recommendations that suggest future studies on the same subject of the search. 5- Methodology and Procedures: For purposes of achieving the desired objectives of the study, it has adopted a descriptive research methodology, and a field analytical one. As for the descriptive methodology, an office survey was conducted. Also, theoretical and field researches and studies in knowledge management and organizational excellence were examined to develop the principles and premises underlying the theoretical framework, so as to clarify the concept of knowledge management, the importance of its application in organizations and the study and analysis of the current reality of knowledge management and excellence at the University of Al-Taif. The most important recent studies were discussed too, as they are considered as a vital component of the study, in addition to all its knowledge axes. As for the field analytical methodology, an exploratory survey was conducted on a sample representing the entire population. Member of the sample were asked to answer paragraphs of a questionnaire designed for this study. Later, the data collected through the questionnaire were analyzed by appropriate statistical methods using the statistical software package for Social Sciences (SPSS). 6- The Study Population and Sample: The study population consists of all the administrative staff working in the supportive departments of Al-Taif University Hawiye Branch. A comprehensive survey was conducted to identify the size of the study population according to the various departments whose number reached (13), according to preliminary information. The results were as follows: COPY RIGHT 2013 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 172

4 Sequence Table (1): The distribution of the various departments of the study population Name of the Department Manager Number of Administrative Employees Assistant Head of Department Administrative Officer 1. General Department of Faculty Members Department of Inventory and procurement Financial department Follow-up Department Department of Security and Public Safety Total Legal Department Department of Public Relations Transportation and Traffic Department Operation and Maintenance Department Engineering and Project Department Department of Administrative Communications Warehouse Department Main Library Total The questionnaire was distributed to all the available members of the study sample representing the study population (the possible sample) which included all departments of the university (Hawiye branch). The total number of the distributed questionnaires is 143, 133 questionnaires were retrieved, and after examining and reviewing the, 7 questionnaires were found to be incomplete, and so they were excluded from the analysis. Therefore, the final sample size was 126 employees. 7- Characteristics of the Study Sample: The following table shows the distribution of the sample members according to the descriptive variables studied. COPY RIGHT 2013 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 173

5 Table (2): Frequencies and percentages of the study sample based on descriptive variables Sequence Variable Name Variable Categories Frequency Percentage General Department of Faculty Members Department of Inventory and procurement Financial department Follow-up Department Department of Security and Public Safety The Legal Department department Department of Public Relations where the respondents Transportation and Traffic work Department Operation and Maintenance Department Engineering and Project Department Department of Administrative Communications Warehouse Department Main Library Below high school school Educational Associate Diploma Level Bachelor degree Post graduate studies years or less Experience years or less Age More than 50 years Manager Job title Assist manager Head of department Executive officer The results indicate that the characteristics of the sample are similar to the properties of the study population, for example, we find that the majority of the sample is composed of workers in General Department of Faculty Members, which represent the largest category in Al-Hawiye branch in terms of number of employees compared to other departments. Also the qualifications variable (educational level) has indicated that most of the respondents are those who completed high school only, who currently work as executive officers. As for the age COPY RIGHT 2013 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 174

6 variable, it was found that most of the respondents belong to the age group (31-40) (representing about 39%). 8- The Study Tool: The study tool is represented by the statistical questionnaire designed by the researchers to collect data that measure the study variables, as the questionnaire was divided into three parts as follows: Part I: it included a number of paragraphs about the personal information and demographics of the sample members (4 paragraphs). Part II: it included a number of paragraphs that aim to measure the knowledge management dimensions from the perspective of the sample members (17 paragraphs). This variable has been divided into a set of dimensions, namely: (Knowledge Innovation: measured by paragraphs (1-4), Knowledge Acquisition: measured by paragraphs (5-8) Knowledge Use: measured by paragraphs (9-12) and Knowledge Distribution: measured by paragraphs (13-17). Part III: it included a number of paragraphs that aim to measure the organizational excellence dimensions from the perspective of the sample members (19 paragraphs). This variable has been divided into a set of dimensions, namely: Leadership Excellence: measured by paragraphs (18-21), Subordinates Excellence: measured by paragraphs (22-26), Organizational Structure Excellence: measured by paragraphs (27-32) and Culture Excellence: measured by paragraphs (33-36). 9- Validity and Reliability Tests to Assess the Study Questionnaire: Face validity has been run on the questionnaire by presenting it to an elite of professors and specialists in administrative sciences field, and administrative specialists in the field of human resources in the public sector. Based on the recommendations and comments of the jury members, many modifications were done; some paragraphs were deleted, new paragraphs were added and other paragraphs were rephrased until the questionnaire reached its final status and form. The reliability of the questionnaire was tested using the reliability coefficient (Cronbach Alpha) to investigate the internal consistency of the phrases that formulate the measures adopted by the study, as seen in Table (3). Results in table (3) indicate that the reliability coefficient for all dimensions is not less than (0.60), and the reliability coefficient for all the paragraphs of the questionnaire is (0.89). This means that the study tool is consistent and valid for the purposes of statistical analysis and scientific research. Table (3): Measure of reliability of the questionnaire dimensions Dimension Knowledge Innovation 0.77 Knowledge Acquisition 0.85 Knowledge Use 0.80 Knowledge Distribution 0.63 Leadership Excellence 0.72 Subordinates Excellence 0.64 Organizational Structure 0.65 Excellence Culture Excellence 0.79 The Whole questionnaire 0.89 the reliability coefficient (Cronbach Alpha) COPY RIGHT 2013 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 175

7 10- Statistical Methods Used in the Study: In an attempt to answer the questions of the study and to test the hypotheses, the following statistical methods have been used: 1. Descriptive Analysis: - this will include the use of frequencies and percentages to describe the study sample, in addition to the use of arithmetic means and standard deviation, to measure the level of availability of variables in order to give an interpretative analysis of respondents answers and the factors that are most recognized by them. 2. One Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA): - used to test hypotheses concerning statistical differences between the independent variables and the dependent ones, in order to test the effects of personal and functional variables on respondents' perceptions about the knowledge management process in organizational excellence. 3. Alpha- Cronabach:- used to measure the stability of the questionnaire. 4. Multiple regression analysis: To test the effect of independent variables (Knowledge Innovation, Knowledge Acquisition, Knowledge Use and Knowledge Distribution) on the dependent variable (Organizational Excellence). 5. Correlation coefficient: to identify the relationship between the variables of the study. The Theoretical Framework The subject of knowledge management is one of the core issues that researchers sought to highlight its aspects and study it from various angles. Some of them addressed it based on a technical perspective to focus on information technologies that facilitate the dissemination and application of knowledge, (Martensson, 2000) sees that: it is the embodiment of the organizational processes that deal with the synergistic blending of information technology's ability to process the data and information and the portability of creativity and innovation for people. Others addressed it by focusing on the cultural and aspects social (Koenig, 1999) through: the conscious and intelligent understanding of the culture of the organization and the ability to use and apply the change performed in this culture. (Loudon and Loudon, 2003) define it as the systemic process to guide and monitor the knowledge and attract attention to it in the company. It is also the mean to add or create value through mixing, installation or synergy between the elements of knowledge in order to find knowledge combinations that are better than they are as data, information or individual pieces of knowledge. (Lee and Choi, 2003) explains that knowledge management can be considered as the institutional trials to develop procedures, techniques and processes in order to achieve the following: 1- Transferring the personal knowledge present among individuals to information databases. 2- Separation, purification and classification of appropriate knowledge. 3- Organizing that knowledge in a database. 4- Allowing the rest of the staff workers to obtain practical and easy access to knowledge sites. 5- Pushing or delivering pre-defined knowledge to workers depending on their needs, which they set in advance. The sources of knowledge are diverse and classified mainly into external sources and internal sources, which are represented by the organization's experiences, and its capacities to COPY RIGHT 2013 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 176

8 take advantage of individuals and groups' learning, strategies, operations and technologies. The environment represents the external source of knowledge and information. The most prominent sources are embodied by the individuals who are considered as the knowledge makers (Lam, 1998), the general environment (the Internet and libraries), the task environment (processors, competitors, customers, universities and research centers), the technical (internal conferences and classroom learning) and the strategic and its role in knowledge creation through the purchase of appropriate options, the identification of the strategic importance areas of the organization and then focusing on them to collect knowledge and processing it (internal researches and patents) (Bhatt, 2001). Organizational Excellence Organizational excellence is defined as the seeking of organizations to exploit critical opportunities preceded by effective strategic planning and commitment to realize a common vision dominated by the clarity of purpose, adequacy of resources and keenness of performance. (Gilgeous, 1997) has defined outstanding organizations as the organizations that consistently outperform the global best practices in the performance of its functions, and that are connected to their customers and clients in supportive and interactive relations. It also realizes the performance capacities of its competitors and the strengths and weaknesses of the external and surrounding environment. (Mcgregor, 1994) has defined excellence as any act or activity done by someone that reinforces and strengthens the achievements of the organization. It includes many of the workforces that make up the organization structure. (Al-Khalaf, 1997) has defined the excellence as a high quality of products, an increase in productivity and a decrease in the cost of performance that is not less than the investment in the prevention and correction costs and those costs resulting from errors, defects, wasting and repeating work. (Ibrahim, 2001) has defined it as the achievement of goals that are valuable in human life. The personal excellence needs internal motivation. The organizational excellence needs an environment where external motivations overcome depressants, and an environment that is dominated by the team spirit that drive the individual towards competition and cooperation with others, so excellence enables the individual to continue functioning despite the monotony and routine of work, as it is considered as an important requirement to improve performance to the level that suits his abilities and skills, until reaching the top performance. (Grote, 2002) has defined it as the ability of organizations to provide development opportunities, and to create conditions that stimulate, correct and face performance problems effectively. (Katzon and John, 2002) have defined it as the peak performance, which is better than the normal, the expected and the competition. It is also better than similar workforces in other places. Excellent workforces are seen as a group of users who have a passionate commitment, and who can bear or provide products or services that constitute a competitive advantage for their employers. The Relationship between Knowledge Management and Organizational Excellence The judgment of the excellence of administrative organizations is achieved through the comparison between the performance of the organization and other organizations that have high levels in order to set the goals for improvement and to move the participation efforts to achieve the objectives of the organization. This is so-called The Signs of Organizational Excellence that can achieve its objectives through (speeding up the changing process, the development of alternative strategies, and the development of realistic improvement goals to bridge the gap between internal and external practices and to achieve the continuity of organizational excellence). (Frostand et al, 2002) have indicated that the performance is high in organizations that contain centers of excellence as compared to those organizations that lack them. (Sasmita and COPY RIGHT 2013 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 177

9 Nayantara) have explained the steps that should be followed in building excellent organizations, namely: 1 - Transferring the organizational leadership vision to individuals in the middle management and executive levels, in relation to the process of organizational excellence. 2 - Linking excellence to the operation and activity of the organization. 3 - Correction of the organization's potentials regarding the process of excellence. 4 - Enabling the staff. 5 - Use of technology. 6 - Dissemination of knowledge. 7 - Encouraging learning at the individual, group and organizational levels. Excellence in organizations requires effective managements, as managers need to change the traditional roles and to follow methods and behaviors that encourage the enhancement of the subordinates capacities to think on their own, to encourage them to put forward new and creative ideas (Diver et al, 2002) and to encourage workers to respond to sources of knowledge in order to use that knowledge to make decisions or to influence others in a way that qualify them to play a more effective role in the knowledge innovation process (Firestone and McElroy,2005). Also, this management must have the vision that can create an environment of participation, in addition to the creation of conditions that help in achieving excellence (Vouzas and Psychogios, 2007). Additionally, it requires a clear institutional strategy, an organizational structure that enhances the sense of responsibility, the development of skills, keeping the channels of communication open and directing and training workers, as workers are considered as the essential building block for improvement. Workers realization of the real meaning of excellence, enhances their loyalty and dedication to take care of consumers and others and enhancing their satisfaction (Al-Marri,et al,2007). (Green, 2002) has indicated that the promotion of knowledge management can be achieved through support and participation, because the key to the success of any organization is the knowledge management. So the leadership has to direct the staff and to consolidate their conviction of the importance of knowledge management and its positive impact on the growth and future of the organization. Also, it should make them understand that excellence means to maximize and enhance the overall performance of the organization, and to give the opportunity to any individual in the organization to participate in finding knowledge, which requires a high level of flexibility in the application of procedures and policies while decreasing the focus on the working rules (Smith and William,2004). (Blaze,2001) and (Grote,2002) have both focused on a number of determinants to achieve organizational excellence, which are represented by: the presence of a leadership who has a clear vision in the considered organizations. These organizations must always focus on the future. The role of knowledge must be activated and the organizational and individual learning must be promoted. (Mcgregor, 1994) has mentioned that the organizational excellence depends mainly on the competitive strategy of the organization, technology and relationship between the organization and consumers. (Rahman, 2001) sees that the aim of the organizational excellence process is to develop a strong and capable workforce that have the capacity to produce goods and services that exceed the internal and external consumer's expectations, because the intrinsic value is to achieve the internal and external consumer desires and to recognize them, to focus on the maker of the service or COPY RIGHT 2013 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 178

10 good and to increase his awareness in an attempt to achieve the goal of the organization, which can be realized by launching the energies of creativity and innovation he has, not restricting him by the non-flexible policies and procedures, and providing a skilled leadership to guide him, encourage him and communicate with him, as the strong workforce is considered a professional and skillful force that has huge capacities of creativity and innovation and that is able to adjust its practices in line with the accepted standards and improving them. They also need a motivating cultural environment that provides confidence, safety, a sense of job satisfaction, belonging and a real sense of loyalty to the organization to provide the consumer with services and gain his satisfaction which can be achieved only with the satisfaction of the domestic (internal) consumer. Accordingly, we can see that the more enhanced knowledge management indicators, it can reach a finer degree, represented by the employee loyalty and belonging to the organization so that he becomes a loyal soldier to his organization and he'll dedicate all his energies and potentials to serve it and sacrify for it its survival, success and prosperity. Literature Review: - (Al-Kharsheh, 2006) study, entitled "The Impact of the Leadership Practice on the Excellence of Jordanian Business Organizations, to Develop a Model to Choose Leaders who are Capable of Leading Organizations towards Excellence". It aimed to identify the impact of leadership practices and the role of administrative leadership on the use of and the investment of the main competencies that are available in Jordanian banks. A questionnaire was used to collect data from the study population, which included 10 banks that were randomly selected from seventeen banks of the study population. The study has concluded that the degree of leadership practices in Jordanian banks was positive and high, and that the excellence in the Jordanian banking sector was positive and high too. Additionally, it found that there is an impact of leadership practices on the value of work when considered as one of the excellence dimensions in the banking sector in Jordan. - (Al-Shamari, 2004) study, entitled "Knowledge Management and its Role in Promoting the Process of Strategic Decision-making". The study has aimed to identify the role and importance of knowledge management in the process of strengthening and management of strategic and vital decisions that are related to strategic problems with multiple dimensions and of great depth and complexity. The study has concluded that the cognitive entrance is an important and necessary tool for the practice of different administrative activities in organizations, not only in solving problems, learning and planning, but also in the determination of the future of the organization by taking the best strategic decision. - (Al-Shamayleh, 2004) study, entitled "The Impact of Additional Role Behaviors on the Organizational Excellence in Greater Amman Municipality". This study has aimed to identify the impact of behaviors of the additional role on the organizational excellence in Greater Amman Municipality. It concluded that there is an important and strong statistically significant correlation between the independent variable and the organizational excellence. COPY RIGHT 2013 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 179

11 - (Fotis, Vouzan and Katerina, 2005) study, entitled "Best Practices for Selecting Greek Organizations that are Moving towards Excellence, and the Distribution of ISO 9000 certificates". The study has aimed to investigate theoretically and empirically the current situation of the best applications in ten Greek industrial organizations that are moving on the way to excellence, using the European excellence model, as these organizations were granted awards of excellence and got the certificates of (ISO 9001). Information was gathered through personal interviews with the directors of planning, production and quality, in addition to a questionnaire that included open-ended questions. The results have showed that there are some problems related to bureaucratic organizations, the lack of flexibility in organizing, a decrease in the use of workers' skills and knowledge and the lack of use of rewards as a marketing tool and as a means to enter markets. - (Ramathan.2004) study, entitled "Excellent Organizations in the Industrial Companies in Oman". This study has aimed to find out the role of information technology management and the investment in technology, in the improvement of business excellence. This study was conducted on (19) groups of industrial companies in the Sultanate of Oman. The study has found that there was a decline in performance according to the Malmquist Productivity Index (MPI) which is attributable to technological change in that period despite the slow improvement in the use of technology. The study has recommended paying more attention to the technological management and the investment in technology so that companies can reach the top level of excellence. - (Lee and Choi, 2003) study, entitled "Elements that Affect Knowledge Management; Operations and Organizational Performance." The study has aimed to test the relationship between a range of variables such as cooperation among workers at the facility, trust between employees, learning programs, the use of central administration, the formality (focus on formalizing), the depth and breadth of workers skills, facilities provided by information technology, the organizational creativity and the process of creating knowledge at the facility. The study has found that all the relationships between these variables and the process of knowledge creation are positive, except for the central administration and the formality variables, as their relationship with the process of knowledge creation was negative. - (Frost, et al, 2002) study, entitled "Excellence Centers in Multinational Populations". A poll was conducted in (780) organizations owned by foreigners from the productive sector in Canada. The study aimed to find out the circumstances that help to establish excellence centers in foreign multinational companies, providing a vision of a mechanism that can be used by multinational organizations through dealing with the issue of the establishment of centers of excellence. The study has concluded the presence of a range of internal and external factors which together form the centers of excellence. The most important of these factors are the investment of the organization inside and outside it, and the areas of competition. There is a relative importance of these factors, that vary depending on the type of center (manufacturing- research- developmental), in addition to the presence of a relationship between the centers of excellence and performance, as many standard COPY RIGHT 2013 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 180

12 measurements of performance have shown that the marks obtained by the centers of excellence are higher than those obtained by organizations that lack centers of excellence, regardless of the type of center. - (Kanji, 2002) study, entitled "Measuring Performance and Business Excellence". This study has aimed to identify the relationship between measuring performance and business excellence, and to build a comprehensive system to measure performance excellence. The study has found that the traditional performance measurement systems do not support performance excellence models. Additionally, building a model to measure business excellence has included the following dimensions: the first group includes (Critical Success Factors) which leads to the achievement of an excellent performance of the organization if it gains attention and if it has been managed effectively. It consists of the leadership which is considered as a main driving element, customer satisfaction, management using facts, human resources management and continuous improvement. The second group: it focused on the values of the organization (as the main driving force) to achieve excellence in each operation and organization and to meet the needs of stakeholders. - Results Presentation and Analysis: The following are the results of the descriptive statistical analysis of data. It consists of the means, standard deviation, the relative importance of all the variables of the study and the paragraphs consisting each variable, taking into account that the scale used in the study was graded from (Strongly Agree) which is given one degree (1), (Agree) given two degrees (2), (Neutral) given (3) degrees, (Agree) given (4) degrees, and (strongly Agree) given (5) degrees. Based on this, the values of means found in the study, will be used to interpret the data as follows: 3.5 or above represents a high level, represents an average level, represents a low level. Accordingly, if the value of the mean of the paragraphs is greater than (3.5), then the estimated level of variable will be high, and this means the approval of the sample members on the paragraph, but if the value of the mean is ( ), then the estimated level of variable will be moderate, and if the mean is less than (2.49), then the estimated level will be low. The results of the analysis were as follows: One: the independent variable (Knowledge Management): 1- Estimation of sample members of the level of knowledge innovation: Table (4) Means and standard deviations of the respondents estimates of the level of knowledge innovation Knowledge Innovation Knowledge innovation can be achieved by: Knowledge innovation via the internet Internal and external referential comparison Experiences and internal sources External sources Paragraphs all together Mean Standard deviation Ranking Estimation level moderate moderate moderate moderate moderate COPY RIGHT 2013 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 181

13 As shown in Table (4), the overall average of the respondents' estimate of the level of knowledge innovation was moderate reaching (3.20). The paragraph of (experiences and internal sources) has ranked first with a mean of (3.40), while the paragraph of (knowledge internet via the Internet) has ranked last with a mean of (3.04). That indicates that the answers of respondents about the paragraphs related to the dimension of knowledge innovation were within approval. 2 Estimation of respondents of the level of knowledge acquisition: Table (5) Means and standard deviations of the respondents estimates of the level of knowledge acquisition Knowledge Acquisition Acquiring it from external sources. Interaction between individuals to find solutions to the problems at hand and the creation of new ideas. The formation of specialized units and task forces for cognitive learning continuously and within the framework of the faculty. The adoption of organizational learning as a source to generate of knowledge. Paragraphs all together Mean Standard deviation Ranking Estimation level moderate moderate moderate moderate moderate As shown in Table (5), the overall average of the respondents' estimate of the level of knowledge acquisition was moderate reaching (3.23). The paragraph of (The formation of specialized units and task forces for cognitive learning continuously and within the framework of the faculty) has ranked first with a mean of (3.37), while the paragraph of (Acquiring it from external sources) has ranked last with a mean of (3.05). That indicates that the answers of respondents about the paragraphs related to this dimension were within approval. 3- Estimation of respondents of the level of knowledge use: Table (6) Means and standard deviations of the respondents estimates of the level of knowledge use Knowledge Use The faculty depends on the views of experienced members within the university regarding the results of its operations and activities. Spreading of an organized culture supported by the effective application of knowledge. Specialized teams within the organization The faculty uses standards and criteria that control the applied knowledge. Paragraphs all together Mean Standard deviation Ranking Estimation level Low As shown in Table (6), the overall average of the respondents' estimate of the level of knowledge use was moderate reaching (3.13). The paragraph of (The faculty uses standards COPY RIGHT 2013 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 182

14 and criteria that control the applied knowledge) has ranked first with a mean of (3.30), while the paragraph of (The faculty depends on the views of experienced members within the university regarding the results of its operations and activities) has ranked last with a mean of (2.92). That indicates that the answers of respondents about the paragraphs related to this dimension were within approval, except for the first paragraph which came within rejection. 4- Estimation of respondents of the level of knowledge distribution: Table (7) Means and standard deviations of the respondents estimates of the level of knowledge distribution Knowledge Distribution Knowledge distribution can be achieved by: Internal information network that helps individuals to access databases. Issuing bulletins, periodicals and other different types of publications. Conducting meetings, seminars and internal workshops. Conducting internal training sessions carried out by individuals with expertise and proficiency. Participating in knowledge in the organization is made available to workers. Paragraphs all together Mean Standard deviation Ranking Estimation level As shown in Table (7), the overall average of the respondents' estimate of the level of knowledge distribution was moderate reaching (3.30). The paragraph of (Conducting meetings, seminars and internal workshops) has ranked first with a mean of (3.39), while the paragraph of (Issuing bulletins, periodicals and other different types of publications) has ranked last with a mean of (3.22). That indicates that the answers of respondents about the paragraphs related to this dimension were within approval. Two: the dependent variable (Organizational Excellence): 1- Estimation of respondents of the leadership excellence dimension: Table (8) Means and standard deviations of the respondents estimates of the leadership excellence Leadership Excellence There is a strategic vision for knowledge management at the university, which is applied at all levels. The management grants individuals with extensive powers, which contribute to raising the level of knowledge and experience they have. The higher management is aware of the needed knowledge required for the institution with regard to its work. Communication between the leadership and personnel is easy. Opportunities for constructive criticism and providing opinions are available. Paragraphs all together Mean Standard deviation Ranking Estimation level As shown in Table (8), the overall average of the respondents' estimate of the leadership excellence dimension was high reaching (3.68). The paragraph of (The COPY RIGHT 2013 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 183

15 management grants individuals with extensive powers, which contribute to raising the level of knowledge and experience they have) has ranked first with a mean of (3.80), while the paragraph of (Communication between the leadership and personnel is easy. Opportunities for constructive criticism and providing opinions are available) has ranked last with a mean of (3.53). That indicates that the answers of respondents about the paragraphs related to the leadership excellence dimension were within high approval. 2- Estimation of respondents of the level of subordinates' excellence: Table (9) Means and standard deviations of the respondents estimates of the level of subordinates' excellence Subordinates Excellence Individuals have the skills and knowledge needed to perform the functional tasks. University staff has the ability to express their opinions and to criticize openly. Employees can provide new knowledge and expertise to the University. Employees have the ability to think systematically and creatively at work. The university seeks to promote the human staff through improved recruitment, activating training and providing motivations. Paragraphs all together Mean Standard deviation Ranking Estimation level COPY RIGHT 2013 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research As shown in Table (9), the overall average of the respondents' estimate of the subordinates' excellence was high reaching (3.7). The paragraph of (The university seeks to promote the human staff through improved recruitment, activating training and providing motivations) has ranked first with a mean of (4.05), while the paragraph of (University staff has the ability to express their opinions and to criticize openly) has ranked last with a mean of (3.48). That indicates that the answers of respondents about the paragraphs related to the subordinates' excellence dimension were within high approval. 3- Estimation of respondents of the organizational structure excellence dimension: Table (10) Means and standard deviations of the respondents estimates of the organizational structure excellence dimension Organizational Structure Excellence Each department at the university has a clear strategic vision, mission and objectives of for. The faculty has a clear and precise organizational structure, in addition to an organizational chart with a description of job titles. There is a quality unit, in addition to continuous evaluation committees for the continuous development of the workers. There is an Excellence Award (faculty members, the ideal employee and the honor board) for the quality of performance. Mean Standard deviation Ranking Estimation level

16 Tasks and responsibilities are distributed in an organized way between the staff members. Standardization of the various activities is well ensured. The continuous development of the administrative structure on a regular basis with what fits or suits the updates to keep up with the workflow. Paragraphs all together Low As shown in Table (10), the overall average of the respondents' estimate of the organizational structure excellence dimension was high reaching (3.50). The paragraph of (Each department at the university has a clear strategic vision, mission and objectives of for) has ranked first with a mean of (3.84), while the paragraph of (The continuous development of the administrative structure on a regular basis with what fits or suits the updates to keep up with the workflow) has ranked last with a mean of (2.60). That indicates that the answers of respondents about the paragraphs related to the organizational structure excellence dimension were within high and moderate approval, except for the sixth paragraph which came within rejection. 4- Estimation of respondents of the level of culture excellence: Table (11) Means and standard deviations of the respondents estimates of the level of culture excellence Culture Excellence The university can cope and adapt according to the working conditions, without complying with the rigid routine system. There is a high level of trust between workers in the working environment within the university. The University deals in a professional and credible way with the information, knowledge and documents that it gets. The university has an integrated methodology for building and strengthening the organizational culture that supports knowledge. Paragraphs all together Mean Standard deviation Ranking Estimation level Low Low As shown in Table (11), the overall average of the respondents' estimate of the culture excellence dimension was high reaching (3.05). The paragraph of (The University deals in a professional and credible way with the information, knowledge and documents that it gets) has ranked first with a mean of (3.28), while the paragraph of (The university can cope and adapt according to the working conditions, without complying with the rigid routine system) has ranked last with a mean of (2.88). That indicates that the answers of respondents about the paragraphs related to the culture excellence dimension were within low approval and rejection. COPY RIGHT 2013 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 185

17 Testing Hypotheses: The First Main Hypothesis: There is no statistically significant effect at the level of (α 0.05) for the knowledge management dimensions on the level of organizational excellence from the perspective of administrative officers in Al-Taif University. To test this hypothesis, it has been divided into sub-hypotheses as follows: - The First Sub-Hypothesis: There is no statistically significant effect at the level of (α 0.05) for the knowledge management dimensions (knowledge innovation, knowledge acquisition, knowledge use and knowledge distribution) on the leadership excellence dimension from the perspective of administrative officers in Al-Taif University. Table (13) Multiple regression of the impact of the administrative empowerment dimensions on the spirit of risk Knowledge B T P value dimensions Knowledge * innovation Knowledge acquisition Knowledge use Knowledge * distribution R² = 0.29 F= P value = *statistically significant The Multiple Linear Regression was used to test the hypothesis. The results presented in table (13) have indicated that the knowledge management with its overall dimensions significantly affect the leadership excellence dimension as the value of the explanation coefficient of explanation (R ²) is (0.29). The (F) value which equals (12.364) and whose level of significance is (0.000), has suggested the presence of a statistically significant impact of the independent variables on the dependent variable. The data presented in the table above also indicate that the two dimensions of knowledge management (knowledge innovation and knowledge distribution) significantly affect the dependent variable based on the value of (T) and its level of significance, which was less than the accepted level of significance (0.05). Also, their degree of impact was found to be (0.27, 0.30) respectively. Results indicated that there is no significant effect of the rest of dimensions on the leadership excellence dimension. From what was mentioned above, the null hypothesis will be rejected and the alternative hypothesis will be accepted. That latter supposes the existence of a significant effect of the knowledge management dimensions of on the leadership excellence variable. - The Second Sub-Hypothesis: There is no statistically significant effect at the level of (α 0.05) for the knowledge management dimensions (knowledge innovation, knowledge acquisition, knowledge use and knowledge distribution) on the subordinates' excellence dimension from the perspective of administrative officers in Al-Taif University. COPY RIGHT 2013 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 186

18 Table (14) Multiple regression of the impact of the knowledge management dimensions on the subordinates excellence at work Knowledge B T P value dimensions Knowledge innovation Knowledge acquisition Knowledge use * Knowledge distribution * R² = 0.30 F= P value = *statistically significant The results presented in table (14) have indicated that the knowledge management with its overall dimensions significantly affects the subordinates' excellence dimension as the value of the explanation coefficient of explanation (R ²) is (0.30). The (F) value which equals (13.418) and whose level of significance is (0.000), has suggested the presence of a statistically significant impact of the independent variables on the dependent variable. The data presented in the table above also indicate that the two dimensions of knowledge management (knowledge use and knowledge distribution) significantly affect the dependent variable based on the value of (T) and its level of significance, which was less than the accepted level of significance (0.05). Also, their degree of impact was found to be (0.167, 0.29) respectively. Results indicated that there is no significant effect of the rest of dimensions on the subordinates' excellence dimension. From what was mentioned above, the null hypothesis will be rejected and the alternative hypothesis will be accepted. That latter supposes the existence of a significant effect of the knowledge management dimensions on the subordinates' excellence at work variable. - The Third Sub-Hypothesis: There is no statistically significant effect at the level of (α 0.05) for the knowledge management dimensions (knowledge innovation, knowledge acquisition, knowledge use and knowledge distribution) on the organizational structure excellence dimension from the perspective of administrative officers in Al-Taif University. Table (15) Multiple regression of the impact of the knowledge management dimensions on the organizational structure excellence Knowledge B T P value dimensions Knowledge * innovation Knowledge acquisition Knowledge use * Knowledge distribution R² = 0.18 F= P value = The results presented in table (15) have indicated that the knowledge management with its overall dimensions significantly affects the organizational structure excellence dimension COPY RIGHT 2013 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 187