The Role of Knowledge Management in Higher Education Institutions: A Case Study from Tanzania

The aim of the paper was to investigate the role of knowledge management in higher education institutions. The case study was based on the Stefano Moshi Memorial University College (SMMUCo). The study relied on both secondary and primary data; primary data was obtained mainly through a questionnaire, observations, as well as short interviews/discussions with students and lecturers, since the researcher is a lecturer at SMMUCo. The findings show that the current University website and the general state of IT infrastructure is not adequate in supporting the knowledge management activities, for example both students and lecturers pointed out a lack of an information system where they could login to access specific information (e.g. individual course results, lecture notes, news bulletins and updates from the management). The paper concludes by highlighting the development of the knowledge management model, which SMMUCo could implement in order to achieve effective knowledge management. The model suggests that in order to build the knowledge management capabilities, the university should effectively align its key resources, namely: (a) Employees (both academic and administrative staff), (b) University content (e.g. lecture notes, programs, policies etc.), and (c) ICT infrastructure. The use of relevant technologies is highly recommended, since technology is viewed as a resource that can improve knowledge management.