Motivation of employees in the education sector and its effect on the implementation of knowledge management

Abstract

Introduction of knowledge management should be prioritized in workplaces with a large proportion of "knowledge workers". One such typical sector is education. The education sector is one specific area of every national economy which needs particular attention, because only if it functions properly can the education system provide a qualified workforce for the future. The vast majority of people working in this sector are teachers - university-educated knowledge workers. The aim of this paper is to show how teacher's work motivation and job satisfaction influences the introduction of knowledge management in the education system. It also shows how the motivation, job satisfaction and willingness of teachers to share information with colleagues is influenced by the way managers do their job. The author has spent several years working on this and related areas. The research has drawn on specialist literature in the field of knowledge management, human resources management, sociology and psychology. The primary material was obtained by the author's own questionnaire survey in early 2012 of teachers and managers in the education sectors. The research is based on the working hypothesis that most teachers do not receive adequate or appropriate stimulation from school managers, and that is partly the reason why they are unwilling to share their accrued knowledge, with the result that the teaching is less effective. The main issue is lack of awareness of the factors that motivate staff.