Sirous Panahi, Jason Watson and Helen Partridge
This paper aims to explore the potential contributions of social media in supporting tacit knowledge sharing, according to the physicians’ perspectives and experiences.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the potential contributions of social media in supporting tacit knowledge sharing, according to the physicians’ perspectives and experiences.
Design/methodology/approach
Adopting a qualitative survey design, 24 physicians were interviewed. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to select the participants. Thematic analysis approach was used for data analysis.
Findings
The study revealed five major themes and over 20 sub-themes as potential contributions of social media to tacit knowledge flow among physicians. The themes included socialising, practising, networking, storytelling and encountering. In addition, with the help of the literature and the supporting data, the study proposed a conceptual model that explains the potential contribution of social media to tacit knowledge sharing.
Research limitations/implications
The study had both theoretical (the difficulty of distinguishing tacit and explicit knowledge in practice) and practical limitations (small sample size). The study findings have implications for the healthcare industry whose clinical teams are not always physically co-located but must exchange their critical experiential and tacit knowledge.
Originality/value
The study has opened up a new discussion of this area by demonstrating and conceptualising how social media tools may facilitate tacit knowledge sharing.
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Keywords
Sirous Panahi, Hossein Ghalavand, Shahram Sedghi, Abdolahad Nabiolahi and Sedigheh Khani
One of the important processes for success or failure of strategic plans in academic libraries is identifying different dimensions and factors affecting library activities and…
Abstract
Purpose
One of the important processes for success or failure of strategic plans in academic libraries is identifying different dimensions and factors affecting library activities and services. However, more previous studies focusing on strategic planning processes and few research have explored perspectives of academic library managers in factors affecting designed strategic plans. This article aims to identify the common factors affecting the strategic plans in Iranian academic libraries.
Design/methodology/approach
After adopting a qualitative survey design, 28 Iranian academic library managers were interviewed. Purposive snowball sampling method was used to select the libraries’ managers, and the data analysis was done using the thematic analysis method by MAXQDA 10.
Findings
The study revealed three main themes including personal, professional and organizational factors that effect on academic libraries’ strategic plans. Users' expectations and librarians' personality characteristics were identified as two sub-themes for personal factors. In term of professional factors, scientific achievement of libraries and communication skills are the most important factors. Academicals factors, managerial factors and budget alignment are most important organizational factors that affect the Iranian academic libraries’ strategic plans.
Originality/value
Iranian academic libraries use different approaches for developing their strategic plans. However, by revealing the common affecting factors by academic library managers, the study provides an opportunity for better controlling the academic libraries' strategic plans progresses.
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Aziz Rezapour, Seyyed Mostafa Hakimzadeh, Sirous Panahi, Ehsan Teymourzadeh, Mohammadkarim Bahadori, Peivand Bastani and Ali Tahernezhad
The purpose of this paper is to identify the most important factors for strategic purchasing of health services in the health sector by the Iran Health Insurance Company and to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the most important factors for strategic purchasing of health services in the health sector by the Iran Health Insurance Company and to provide an applicable model for other similar organizations in developing countries.
Design/methodology/approach
The present qualitative study was conducted in 2017 to identify the factors affecting the implementation of strategic purchasing of health services in the health sector by the Iran Health Insurance Company and to provide an indigenous and practical model through two phases: semi-structured interview followed by a Delphi process.
Findings
According to the findings of this study, Ministry of Welfare, Labor and Social Security plays a central role in the strategic purchasing. In addition, this was also approved by the representatives of citizens in communities concerning professional associations, insurance agencies and representative of the Council of Ministers. Model development explored 9 themes and 54 sub-themes.
Research limitations/implications
Based on the model, most attention has been paid to consumer role and inter-sector leadership of the company with other relevant organizations and systems including other insurance organizations and the welfare ministry. More importantly, the health insurance company should be able to communicate with providers and to choose the best providers, receiving price information through competition in the most appropriate mechanism. Guided by this model, it can strategically buy the best and the most effective services for its insured population.
Social implications
It might help developing societies to promote their health systems based on targeting the health budgeting and financial constraints so that it is prioritized according to the strategic purchasing criteria and consequently, economic evaluation.
Originality/value
The linchpins of the present study are as follow: first, the pragmatic model presented in the paper could help developing health systems to overcome the impediment in the implementation progress of strategic purchasing. Second, the model satisfies the need of enough knowledge to apply strategic purchasing in the health system. Third, the indigents have long been given special protection and consideration in the model that has continued to capture the attention of every policy-maker, in particular, developing countries, the portion of which is significant. Fourth, based on this model, attention has been paid to consumer role and inter-sector leadership of organization with other relevant organizations and systems. Fifth, this model could be correspondent for every insurance company in countries with similar developing conditions.
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Sirous Panahi, Jason Watson and Helen Partridge
Researchers debate whether tacit knowledge sharing through information technology (IT) is actually possible. However, with the advent of social web tools, it has been argued that…
Abstract
Purpose
Researchers debate whether tacit knowledge sharing through information technology (IT) is actually possible. However, with the advent of social web tools, it has been argued that most shortcomings of tacit knowledge sharing are likely to disappear. The purpose of this paper is two‐fold: first, to demonstrate the existing debates in the literature regarding tacit knowledge sharing using IT; and second, to identify key research gaps that lay the foundations for future research into tacit knowledge sharing using the social web.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper reviews current literature on IT‐mediated tacit knowledge sharing and opens a discussion on tacit knowledge sharing through the use of the social web.
Findings
First, the existing schools of thought in regards to IT ability for tacit knowledge sharing are introduced. Next, difficulties of sharing tacit knowledge through the use of IT are discussed. Then, potentials and pitfalls of social web tools are presented. Finally, the paper concludes that whilst there are significant theoretical arguments supporting the notion that the social web facilitates tacit knowledge sharing there is a lack of empirical evidence to support these arguments and further work is required.
Research limitations/implications
The limitations of the review include: covering only papers that were published in English, issues of access to full texts of some resources, and the possibility of missing some resources due to search strings used or limited coverage of databases searched.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to the fast growing literature on the intersection of KM and IT particularly by focusing on tacit knowledge sharing in social media space. The paper highlights the need for further studies in this area by discussing the current situation in the literature and disclosing the emerging questions and gaps for future studies.