The Relationship Between Organisational Culture and Knowledge Sharing in the Information Communication Technology Firms in Libya
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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING IN THE INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY FIRMS IN LIBYA BELQAIS ALLALI Ph.D. Thesis 2016 ! ! THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING IN THE INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY FIRMS IN LIBYA BELQAIS ALLALI School of the Built Environment University of Salford, Salford, UK Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2016 ! ! Table of Contents Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................... I! List of Figures ..................................................................................................................... VIII! List of Tables ........................................................................................................................... X! ACKNOWLEDGMENT ...................................................................................................... XI! ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................ XIV! ABSTRACT ………………………………………………………………………………..XV! Chapter 1.! Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1 ! Research Background .................................................................................................. 1! ! Research Rationale ...................................................................................................... 2! ! Justifications ................................................................................................................ 4! ! Research Aim and Objectives ..................................................................................... 7! ! Research Methodology ................................................................................................ 8! ! Contribution by this Study to Knowledge ................................................................... 8! 1.6.1. Originality of the study ............................................................................................ 8! 1.6.2. Creativity and innovation within the study. ........................................................... 10! ! Scope and Limitations ............................................................................................... 11! ! Structure of the Thesis ............................................................................................... 11! Chapter 2.! Literature Review ............................................................................................ 14! 2.1! Introduction ............................................................................................................... 14! 2.2! Information and Communication Technology (ICT) ................................................ 15! 2.2.1! Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Concepts ......................... 15! 2.2.2! The Development of ICT Businesses ................................................................ 18! 2.2.3! The Contributions of ICT Businesses to General Business Development ........ 19! 2.2.4! ICT Firms’ Performances .................................................................................. 19! 2.2.5! The Development of ICT Businesses in the Arabic Region .............................. 20! I! 2.2.6! ICT Businesses in Libya .................................................................................... 21! 2.3! The Concepts of Knowledge and the Development of Knowledge Management .... 22! 2.3.1! The Development of the Concepts of Knowledge ............................................. 22! 2.3.2! Knowledge Management in Business ................................................................ 25! 2.3.3! Knowledge Management in ICT businesses ...................................................... 28! 2.4! Knowledge Sharing ................................................................................................... 29! 2.4.1! Knowledge Sharing Concepts and Aspects ....................................................... 29! 2.4.2! Confusion in Understanding the Term Knowledge Sharing .............................. 31! 2.4.3! The Differences between Knowledge Sharing as Part of Knowledge Management and Knowledge Sharing as an Organisational Practice ............................. 33! 2.4.4! Knowledge Sharing in ICT Firms ...................................................................... 35! 2.4.5! Issues relating to knowledge and knowledge sharing in ICT firms ................... 35! 2.5! Organisational Culture .............................................................................................. 37! 2.5.1! Concepts of Organisational Culture ................................................................... 37! 2.5.2! Organisational Culture and Knowledge ............................................................. 42! 2.6! The Relationship between Organisational Culture and Knowledge Sharing ............ 42! 2.7! Organisational Culture and Knowledge Sharing in ICT Firms ................................. 46! 2.8! Summary ................................................................................................................... 47! Chapter 3.! Research Methodology .................................................................................... 49! 3.1! Research Models ....................................................................................................... 49! 3.2! Research Philosophy ................................................................................................. 53! 3.2.1! Ontological Assumptions ................................................................................... 54! 3.2.2! Epistemological Assumptions ............................................................................ 54! 3.2.3! Axiological Assumptions ................................................................................... 55! 3.2.3.1 Philosophical stances related to the research ........................................................... 56! 3.3! Research Approach ................................................................................................... 57! 3.4! Research Strategy ...................................................................................................... 58! 3.4.1! Action Research ................................................................................................. 60! II! 3.4.2! Grounded Theory ............................................................................................... 60! 3.4.3! Ethnography ....................................................................................................... 61! 3.4.4! Phenomenology .................................................................................................. 61! 3.4.5! Case Study ......................................................................................................... 62! 3.4.5.1! Definitions and the Use of the Case Study ..................................................... 62! 3.4.5.2! The Design of the Case Study and the Unit of Analysis ................................ 62! 3.4.5.3! The Selection of the Cases and Sampling ...................................................... 65! 3.5! Research Choices ...................................................................................................... 66! 3.6! Time Horizon ............................................................................................................ 67! 3.7! Data Collection and Data Analysis (Techniques and Procedures) ............................ 67! 3.7.1! Data Collection Techniques ............................................................................... 67! 3.7.1.1! The Questionnaire as a Data Collection Technique ....................................... 68! 3.7.1.1.1! The Design of the Questionnaire ............................................................................ 68! 3.7.1.1.2! The Pilot Study ...................................................................................................... 68! 3.7.1.1.3! The sample ............................................................................................................ 69! 3.7.1.1.4! The Data Collection Journey of the Questionnaire ................................................. 71! 3.7.2! The Process of the Questionnaire Technique ..................................................... 72! 3.7.2.1! Semi-Structured Interviews as a Data Collection Technique ......................... 73! 3.7.2.1.1! Semi-structured interviews .................................................................................... 73! 3.7.2.1.2! The pilot study ...................................................................................................... 75! 3.7.2.1.3! The sample ............................................................................................................ 75! 3.7.3! Data Analysis Procedures .................................................................................. 77! 3.7.3.1! Data Analysis Procedure of the Questionnaire’s Results ............................... 77! 3.7.4! Thematic analysis ............................................................................................... 79! 3.7.4.1! Documents’ analysis as a data collection method .......................................... 84! 3.7.5! Research Design and Process ............................................................................