title: Investigating Knowledge Management Status among Faculty Members of Kerman University of Medical Sciences based on the Nonaka Model in 2015.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Education and research are two major functions of universities, which require proper and systematic exploitation of available knowledge and information. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the knowledge management status in an education system by considering the function of faculty members in creation and dissemination of knowledge. This study was conducted to investigate the knowledge management status among faculty members of the Kerman University of Medical Sciences based on the Nonaka and Takeuchi models in 2015.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional study. It was conducted on 165 faculty members at the Kerman University of Medical Sciences, who were selected from seven faculties as weighted using a random stratified sampling method. The Nonaka and Takeuchi knowledge management questionnaire consists of 26 questions in four dimensions of socialization, externalization, internalization, and combination. Scoring of questions was conducted using the five-point Likert scale. To analyze data, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and the Kruskal-Wallis test were employed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The four dimensions in the Nonaka and Takeuchi model are based on optimal indicators (3.5), dimensions of combination, and externalization with an average of 3.3 were found in higher ranks and internalization and socialization had averages of 3.1 and 3. According to the findings of this study, the average knowledge management among faculty members of the Kerman University of Medical Sciences was estimated to be 3.1, with a bit difference compared to the average. According to the results of t-tests, there was no significant relationship between gender and various dimensions of knowledge management (p>0.05). The findings of Kruskal-Wallis showed that there is no significant relationship between variables of age, academic rank, and type of faculty with regard to dimensions of knowledge management (p>0.05). In addition, according to the results of Pearson tests, there is no significant relation between employment history and dimensions of knowledge management (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Considering the function and importance of knowledge management in education and research organizations including universities, it is recommended to pay comprehensive attention to establishment of knowledge management and knowledge sharing in universities and provide the required background to from research teams and communication networks inside and outside universities.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Environmental Health Engineering Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Science, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vali
authors.affiliation: M.Sc. in Health Care Management, School of Management and Medical Information, Kerman University of Medical sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Azar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Izadi
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Research Center for Modeling in Health, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Kerman, Iran; Assistant Professor, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Yunes
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jahani
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okhovati
keywords: Faculty Members; Knowledge Management; Nonaka and Takeuchi Model