Abstract:
The study investigated how knowledge sharing process takes place
among communities in rural areas in Tanzania. Specifically, the study
determined how knowledge was created; assessed how rural people shared
knowledge; and evaluated the impacts of social-cultural practices, individual
and institutional factors on knowledge creation and sharing. The study also
assessed how ICTs were used in knowledge creation and sharing among rural
people. The study employed a meta-analysis where studies on knowledge
acquisition and sharing among rural people in Tanzania were critically analysed.
The findings reveal that rural people created and shared knowledge in need for
their day to day activities. Knowledge was created through observations,
personal experiences and social interactions and shared mainly through
discussions and conversations held on several occasions. Individual,
institutional, social-cultural practices and technological factors influenced the
knowledge creation and sharing process. It was further established that rural
people consulted some knowledge sources more and shared knowledge through
formal and informal groups. Decisions on sources consulted were influenced by
socio-economic, demographic and geographical factors surrounding rural
people. However, the poor link between the knowledge-rich and knowledge-
poor units limited the knowledge sharing and creation processes. It is
recommended that the link between units creating knowledge and those using it
should be improved so that rural communities can easily acquire and share it.
Because rural people depend on exogenous knowledge from other institutions,
institutional knowledge creation and sharing capacities should be improved to
enhance knowledge sharing in rural communities. Rural communities should
try to eliminate the individual factors and social-cultural practices hindering
knowledge creation and sharing process.
