Perceptions and Knowledge Sharing Practices of Graduate Students in Singapore

The concept of knowledge sharing is gaining popularity due to increased awareness and new initiatives in knowledge management. However, its implications in the educational arena have been relatively unexplored. The purpose of this study was to investigate perceptions, nature and extent of knowledge sharing among graduate students in Singapore. A questionnaire was used for data collection and 183 students from two public universities in Singapore participated in this study. The study revealed that the participants were primarily motivated to share knowledge in an attempt to build relationships with their peers and email was the preferred communication channel. However, intense competition among the students to outperform their classmates and the lack of depth in relationship were the two most cited factors hindering knowledge sharing. The study suggests that academic institutions should review their instruction approaches to make the learning process less competitive which would help improve knowledge sharing among students.