The Success of Malaysian Local Authorities: The Roles of Personality and Sharing Tacit Knowledge

Halimah Abdul ManafUniversity of Hull, Hull

United Kingdom

Associate Professor Dr. Najib Ahmad MarzukiUniversiti Utara Malaysia

Malaysia

Agenda

1. Introduction1. Introduction

2 .Knowledge in Malaysian Government 2 .Knowledge in Malaysian Government

3. Definitions3. Definitions

5. Personality Traits and TKS5. Personality Traits and TKS

7 .Conclusion and Recommendations 7 .Conclusion and Recommendations

6. TKS and Organizational Performance

4. Performance in Malaysian LA4. Performance in Malaysian LA

Introduction

Why Knowledge?

• Knowledge is valuable asset should continues managed

• Learning culture in the public sector also promotes knowledge would improve work performance

• People have imbalances in time and workload rely on common sense and intuition or tacit knowledge to complete the work

• In order to utilize knowledge in government organizations through sharing tacit knowledge, managers should understand individual differences such as personality traits

• Sharing tacit knowledge contributes to organizational performance through the development of personality traits.

Knowledge Capture

Best Practices

DialogueCoachingExperience

Document & Content

Management

Processes Solutions

KnowledgeRepository

Forums

Mentor Programs

Apprenticeships

Explicit

Implicit

Tacit

Source: Eucker, T. R., (2007)

Knowledge in Malaysian Government•The creation, sharing and application of new knowledge is important for the building of sustainable and competitive government (Kang et. al., 2008)

•Strategy Malaysian government to achieve vision 2020 as a comprehensive development of public sector performance through knowledge

•In 9th Malaysia Plan, the government introduced targets to increase knowledge capabilities, to be innovative and to create ‘first class human capital’ (Government of Malaysia, 2008). •To become successful, knowledge must be accessible, and it must be possible to derive benefit from it (Abdullah, 2005).

•Malaysia had made a paradigm shift from p-economy to k-economy

•Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) – to be an engine of economic growth for the 21st century

Conceptual Definitions•Tacit knowledge as knowing how to do something without thinking about it, like riding a bicycle Polanyi (1966).•The characters of tacit knowledge are sometimes unexplainable, highly personal, subjective form of knowledge, informal and can be implicit •An experience based knowledge to solve practical problem (Sternberg, & Grigorenko, 2000), •This study refers tacit knowledge as the abilities and skills of managers to manage self, others and tasks.

•Knowledge sharing is about a learning process through exchanging ideas, knowledge, experiences, information can be unidirectional and unrequested •Term sharing refers to a process of presenting individual who possess knowledge and can be used by others. •Elements of knowledge sharing practices is knowledge sharing mechanism and mentoring program.

tContinues....

•Personality is a character stability of temperament, intellect and physique including patterns of thought, emotions, and behaviour across different situations over time •Agreeableness: good natured, forgiving, courteous, helpful, generous, cheerful and cooperative - naturally inclined to help others•Conscientiousness: competence, reliable, responsible, organized, and hardworking, self disciplined and achievement oriented – contributions beyond role requirements•Openness to experiences - ‘intellect’ in lexical solutions: imagination, intellectual curiosity, originality and independence of judgment•Extraversion: excitement, stimulation and are cheerful, assertive, talkative, active, energetic and optimistic, active and impulsive - leadership roles•Neuroticism: anxiety, hostility, depression, self consciousness and impulsiveness - lack of positive psychological adjustment and emotional stability.

MODEL SSR-PBT

CRITERION

Management(30 %)

Core Services(35 %)

SUB-CRITERION

1. Organizational Management (10%)2. Financial Management (10%)3. Human Resources Management (10%)

1. License policy &business controlling (4%)

2. Planning (5.75%)3. Building controlling (3.25%)4. Properties & assessment

managements (4%)5. Traffic management &

car parking (3.5%)6. Landscaping (3.5%)7. Project management (4%)8. Laws &

enforcement (4%)9. Prevention of

communicable diseases (3%)

Customers Management

(15%)

1. Frontline services (9.5%)2. Compaints management(5.5%)

Community Participation &

People Views(20%)

1. Community participation (10%)2. People view (10%)

GRADING RESULTS OF GRADING

EARLY ACTIONS

Inform local authoritiesInformation gathering viaonline

INSPECTIONS

Entrance ConferenceRecords and documents assessment and interviews with officers

Visit workplaceExit Conference

PEOPLE VIEWS

Face to face interviewsPostWeb page

MARKS AND APPROVER

Discussion with inspectorate membersMarks coordinationReports to the audit committee

LA’s Grading

(90-100)Excellent

(75-89)Good

(60-74)Satisfy

(46-59)Less satisfy

(45 & below)Poor

Continues Improvement

Re-inspections

Ministry of Housing and Local Government, Malaysia KPKT

Performance in Malaysia Local Government

Performance in Malaysian Local

Authority

Star Rating System (SSR) Model

( Source: Malaysia Local Government Department, 2008)

Personality Traits and Tacit Knowledge Sharing

Conscientiousness

An agreeable person may create willingness to exchange knowledge in recipients

Conscientiousness

Conscientiousness

Openness

Extraversion

Neuroticism

Related to commitment and the documentation of knowledge has an influence on knowledge sharing

Highly open people display intellectual curiosity, creativity, flexible thinking and culture. They show positive attitudes towards learning and engage with learning activities

People who are extraverts involve the experience of positive emotions, and extraverts are more likely to take on leadership roles and have many close friends

People who are neurotic experience a variety of problem such as negative moods, fear, anxiety, depression and irritability and physical symptoms

Agreeableness

Tacit Knowledge Sharing and Organizational Performance

•Performance links with productivity and effectiveness use of limited resources

• Evaluation from (1) performance indicators, (2) audit, and (3) inspection

• Local government that practice STK would provide high quality services

•To gain knowledge from difference personality traits have different experiences, abilities, knowledge and perceptions.

• Increased levels of economic and human development in economies driven by brain power, wealth of information, skills and knowledge

Conclusion and Recommendations

• Create understanding from theory and practicality that KS influence LA’s performance.

• The practicality and benefit of KS to the Malaysian government.

• Little discussion on the effect of KM practices on performance in Malaysian government (Raja Kasim, 2008), particularly limited in Malaysia’s LA (Salleh & Syed Ahmad, 2006).

•The government has intention implementing KM parallel with country development.

• Personality is new dimension in management and psychology field.