Australian Journal of Adult Learning - Knowledge management systems and open innovation in second tier UK universities

Oct 15, 2026

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Paper examining how second-tier UK universities perform in relation to their knowledge management systems and participation in open innovation. Evidence is drawn from a mail survey of academic staff in social science and business faculties. Findings suggest that specific key factors affect knowledge management effectiveness, and universities engaged in open innovation tend to develop more effective systems. Concludes that surviving government spending cuts may require optimising knowledge management and prioritising acquisition of new knowledge through open innovation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time50 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

University funding

Knowledge management systems

University reform

Australian Journal of Adult Learning Volume 52, Number 1, April 2012 Knowledge management systems and open innovation in second tier UK universities Ian Chaston CENTRUM Catolica University, Lima, Peru The purpose of this paper is to examine the performance of second tier UK universities in relation to the effectiveness of their knowledge management systems and involvement in open innovation. Data were acquired using a mail survey of academic staff in social science and business faculties in second tier institutions. The results indicate that certain key factors influence the effectiveness of knowledge management systems. Universities engaged in open innovation appear to have developed more effective systems. It is concluded that universities seeking to survive in the face of government spending cuts could benefit from optimising the effectiveness of their knowledge management systems and giving greater emphasis to the acquisition of new knowledge by exploiting open innovation. Keywords: universities, funding, knowledge management systems, open innovation 154 Ian Chaston Introduction One consequence of Western governments facing increasing problems funding public sector service is the university sector has faced either a freeze or reduction in government financing (Lundsgaard & Turner 2004). In the UK, the 2008/09 recession which followed the global banking crisis has caused the Government to reduce significantly the level of student funding made available by the Higher Education Funding Council for England and to permit an increase in the level of student fees from £3,290 to a maximum of £9,000 in 2012. In an increasingly volatile world, organisational performance can often be enhanced by the exploitation of new knowledge (Goh 2002). Drucker (1985 a, b) posited that survival of organisations in turbulent times will be higher among those which exploit innovation to sustain performance. One possible approach for responding to public sector funding problems is to place greater emphasis on innovation as the basis for developing new service propositions or enhancing organisational productivity (Chaston 2011). The purpose of this paper is to examine the validity of this perspective in relation to the UK university sector by examining knowledge management and innovation practices within these institutions. University funding By the 1990s many governments began to freeze or reduce the level of funds being made available to higher education (HE) institutions (McPherson et al. 1989). Many universities responded by slowing their rates of spending and, where permitted, increased the share of costs borne by students by raising tuition fees. In Australia and New Zealand, as government funding decreased, universities attempted to improve productivity to close their funding gap and greatly expanded their efforts to attract more overseas students (Scott 2003) . Knowledge management systems 155 Australian and New Zealand governments also created a student loan scheme for their domestic students (Dobson 2001). Within Europe, there has remained a more embedded philosophy that young people should continue to be provided with free university education. In the UK in the 1990s, however, the government decided that to sustain the delivery of a high quality learning experience (Johnes & Johnes 1994), it was necessary to introduce student fees (Peters 1999). By the 21st century more nations wishing to create a skilled and educated workforce to sustain economic growth have accepted a ‘study now, pay later’ funding philosophy (Lundsgaard & Turner 2004) . In the UK Lord Browne recommended a lifting of the cap on student fees (Browne 2010). English universities were permitted to increase student fees up to a maximum of £9,000. A key factor influencing this decision was that, following the 2008 banking crisis and subsequent recession, reduction of the UK public sector deficit required a drastic reduction in university funding via

FAQs

What is the study’s main purpose?

To examine second-tier UK universities’ performance in relation to the effectiveness of their knowledge management systems and their involvement in open innovation.

How were the data collected?

Using a mail survey of academic staff in social science and business faculties in second-tier institutions.

What do the results indicate about open innovation?

Universities engaged in open innovation appear to have developed more effective knowledge management systems.

Oct 15, 2026

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