Knowledge transfer processes within “Child rights, classroom and school management”. Factors affecting the knowledge transfer processes on an individual- group- and organizational level

Abstract: This study aims to answer two research questions with focus in Sida’s International Training Program: Child rights, classroom and school management, the two questions regard the knowledge transfer process. The first one focuses on how the participants of the program express knowledge and knowledge transfer and the second one highlights what contextual factors that affect the processes on three different levels: individual- group- and organizational. These questions are answered through a social constructivistic approach with an adductive perspective which is manifested in qualitative methods as observations of the course made in Sweden and Zambia, observation of former participants accomplished in Uganda and interviews with the mentors conducted in Sweden and other participants done in Uganda. Selected theories presented in the theoretical framework show a diversity of researchers’ regarding their different definitions of knowledge and knowledge transfer, tacit and explicit knowledge and factors affecting the knowledge transfer process. The later theories are structured within individual-, group- and organizational level to follow my second research question. The analysis chapter contains a mixture of theory and results from the observations and interviews. Here the answers to the specific research questions are answered. Definitions of participants’ explanation of knowledge and knowledge transfer are presented and attached together with tacit and explicit knowledge. Factors affecting the knowledge transfer process are presented and evaluated upon. On individual level factors affecting the knowledge transfer process are: how the receiver adapts the knowledge sent, the way it is contextualized to be sent by the sender and to be adjusted to fit the context by the receiver, how the sender is willing to transfer their knowledge, how the sender is willing to share or not and the receivers participation in the process. On group level the main factor affecting the knowledge transfer process are the group dynamics with focus on the relationship between the sender and the receiver. On organizational level there were three major factors that were highlighted: how the organizational environment should be to encourage knowledge transfer, what the organizational culture should feel like to make the participants encouraged to share their knowledge and the communication between the sender and receiver that affects if there will be a transfer or not. Within the discussion chapter, the perspective is widened to include a general discussion about the research questions. Here a discussion about how one perceives knowledge and knowledge transfer is discussed with focus on seeing knowledge as an object or as a process. Further follows a theoretical discussion regarding knowledge as an object or as a process and how it is interlaced with knowledge transfer and knowledge sharing. Also further research topics within the chosen field are elaborated on.