The role of knowledge management and its relationship in making administrative decisions in the Palestinian Ministry of Labor " from the point view of its employees"

Abstract

The objectives of the study is to identify the role of knowledge management - with its dimensions - (knowledge generation and acquisition, knowledge storage, knowledge sharing, knowledge application) and its relationship to administrative decision-making in the Palestinian Ministry of Labor from the viewpoint of its employees. The study relied on the analytical descriptive approach, relying on the questionnaire as the main study tool. The study population consisted of (610) workers in the Palestinian Ministry of Labor and its directorates in the West Bank, and the sample size was (236) male and female employees. The study concluded that the total degree of the estimates of the study sample for the reality of knowledge management came with a high degree for the dimensions (knowledge storage and application of knowledge), while it came with a medium degree for the dimensions (knowledge generation and knowledge sharing). As for the reality of administrative decision-making in the Palestinian Ministry of Labor, it came with a medium degree. The results of the field study also showed that one of the most important obstacles to the practice of knowledge management in the Palestinian Ministry of Labor (the presence of negative organizational conflicts, resistance to change, excessive centralization, low level of employee participation in decision-making). It was also found that there is a strong direct and statistically significant correlation between the domains of: (knowledge generation, knowledge sharing, knowledge application) and administrative decision-making. The results also indicated that there were no statistically significant differences at the level (α≤0.05) in the average estimates of the study sample towards the obstacles to the practice of knowledge management in the Palestinian Ministry of Labor, according to the variables: (gender, age, job title, years of experience, and educational qualification). Also, there are statistically significant differences at the level (0.05 α≤) in the average estimates of the study sample towards the administrative decision-making process in the Palestinian Ministry of Labor according to the gender variable, in favor of males. Based on the results of the study, the researcher recommended the Ministry of Labor to attract individuals specialized in knowledge management, appointing them as consultants in knowledge management, benefiting as much as possible from the available technologies, and employing them for the benefit of the ministry and its employees.