Abstract

Introduction: Knowledge sharing is recognized as one of the key processes in the development and dissemination of knowledge, especially in specialized fields such as higher education and health research. This process not only contributes to the individual growth of faculty members but also plays an effective role in enhancing educational and research quality. In universities, particularly in research institutions within the health sector, understanding the factors affecting knowledge sharing can play a significant role in improving and facilitating this process. However, it seems necessary to thoroughly examine the factors influencing this process among the faculty members of medical universities.
Materials & Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study aimed to examine the factors affecting knowledge sharing among the faculty members of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. The data collection tool was a 50-item questionnaire designed on a 5-point Likert scale. Stratified random sampling was used to select participants from the faculty members of various schools within the university. After data collection, statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software. Method of measuring validity and reliability: The questionnaire of Ghodsian et al. (2019) is a valid and reliable questionnaire (Cronbach's alpha 0.97). The knowledge transfer model consists of two dimensions and 10 components with CFI=0.98, GFI=0.92, and RMSEA=0.062, and has a relatively good fit.
Results: A total of 231 questionnaires were completed by faculty members. The majority of participants were female, aged 41-50, holding a Ph.D. degree, and had 11 to 15 years of work experience. The results indicated that factors such as the nature of knowledge, the interaction of knowledge with the university and the environment, and the role of the university and faculty had the most impact on the knowledge-sharing process. The highest average score was attributed to the nature of knowledge, while the interaction between faculty and the environment had the least impact.
Conclusion: This study confirmed that knowledge, the university, faculty members, and the environment are among the most important factors affecting knowledge transfer. Creating interdisciplinary environments and appropriate infrastructures can facilitate knowledge sharing. Additionally, facilitating conditions and human resources play a vital role in improving this process.
 
Acknowledgments: This study is an extract from the thesis for a master's degree in medical education at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. The researchers would like to thank all the faculty members of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences who helped the research team complete the questionnaires.
 
Availability of data and materials: The datasets analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
 
Conflicts of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of the results of this article.
 
Consent for publication: Not applicable
 
Ethical approval and consent to participate: This study has an ethics code (IR.SBMU.SME.REC.1402.049) from the Research Ethics Committee of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. Before starting the study, the objectives and methods were fully explained to the participants and written informed consent was obtained from them. Also, all personal and private information of the participants was kept confidential and this study did not conflict with the religious and cultural norms of the society.The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki.
 
Funding: There is no financial support for this study.
 
Authors’ Contributions: S.Akbari Farmad: conceptualization 70%- designing the plan 70%-data collection or processing 20%- analysis or interpretation 30%- writing the main draft 10%- critical review and editing 80%- finalization 5%- responsiveness to all aspects of the work 30%. F. Mohammadi: conceptualization 30%- designing the plan30%- analysis or interpretation 80%- writing the main draft 70%- critical review and editing 90%- finalization 20%- responsiveness to all aspects of the work 70%.
 
Open Access Policy: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0), which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original author(s) and source are properly credited. To view a copy of this licence, visit.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/