Positioning organisational culture in knowledge management research

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 164-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Said Abdullah Al Saifi

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual model for understanding the impact of organisational culture on knowledge management processes and their link with organisational performance. It is suggested that organisational culture should be assessed as a multi-level construct comprising artefacts, espoused beliefs and values and underlying assumptions. A holistic view of organisational culture and knowledge management processes, and their link with organisational performance, is presented. Design/methodology/approach – A comprehensive review of previous literature was undertaken in the development of the conceptual model. Taken together, the literature and the proposed model reveal possible relationships between organisational culture, knowledge management processes and organisational performance. Findings – Potential implications of organisational culture levels for the creation, sharing and application of knowledge are elaborated. In addition, the paper offers possible new insight into the impact of organisational culture on various knowledge management processes and their link with organisational performance. Research limitations/implications – A number of possible relationships between organisational culture factors, knowledge management processes and their link with organisational performance were used to examine such relationships. Practical implications – The research model highlights the multi-level components of organisational culture. These are: the artefacts, the espoused beliefs and values and the underlying assumptions. Through a conceptualisation of the relationships between organisational culture, knowledge management processes and organisational performance, the study provides practical guidance for practitioners during the implementation of knowledge management processes. Originality/value – The focus of previous research on knowledge management has been on understanding organisational culture from the limited perspective of promoting knowledge creation and sharing. This paper proposes a more comprehensive approach to understanding organisational culture in that it draws on artefacts, espoused beliefs and values and underlying assumptions, and reveals their impact on the creation, sharing and application of knowledge which can affect the overall organisational performance.

Author(s):  
Iman M. Adeinat ◽  
Fatheia H. Abdulfatah

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine knowledge management interrelationships in higher education institutions and to assess the impact of the university’s culture on knowledge management processes: creation, dissemination, exchange and application. Design/methodology/approach The proposed model establishes the relationships between organizational culture (OC) and knowledge management processes in a single framework. The study used the organizational culture assessment instrument to determine the culture type and used structural equation modeling to assess the underlying relationships between knowledge management process and OC. Findings The results of the factor analysis used in this study suggest that adhocracy organizational culture, in which an organization is characterized by emphasis on individual initiative and employee empowerment, may not necessarily affect all knowledge management processes equally. In particular, an organization’s culture principally influences the knowledge creation process, followed by knowledge exchange, in a public university setting. Originality/value The study provides a comprehensive outlook on the effect of adhocracy culture in higher education on the knowledge management process through the lens of one cultural context. In addition, this is the first study that explores the OC effect on knowledge management process in a Saudi public university.


Kybernetes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (8) ◽  
pp. 1731-1756
Author(s):  
Ali Akbar Haddadi Harandi ◽  
Mona Bokharaei Nia ◽  
Changiz Valmohammadi

Purpose The importance of e-literacy of staff in the digital life is fundamentally very crucial, to such an extent that it is considered as one of the primary conditions for successful utilization of knowledge management processes using social technologies within organizations. This study aims to explain and test a novel conceptual model to show the impact of applying social technologies on knowledge management (KM) processes in the context of Iranian organizations, considering the moderator role of e-literacy of employees. Design/methodology/approach Based on an in-depth study of the relevant literature, a questionnaire was designed. The sound questionnaires obtained from our sample size was 207 and respondents were experts in the field of information technology (IT) within the Central Office of Insurance companies in Tehran. The collected data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and path analysis. Findings The results indicate that the use of social technologies with the factor loading of 0.57 has the highest impact on knowledge exchange and 0.61 on knowledge utilization. In addition, the results indicate that e-literacy with the factor loadings of 0.69 and 0.74 has the highest impact on knowledge exchange and knowledge utilization, respectively. In addition, the impact of social technologies with the factor loading of 0.82 has the highest impact on e-literacy. Research limitations/implications One of the limitations of this study was the generalizability of the findings, which may be limited, as it is focused on one developing country. Also, the lack of full implementation of KM and the use of social technologies in the insurance industry may affect the obtained results. Originality/value To the best knowledge of the authors, this study is among the first of its kind which examines the impact of social technologies usage on the KM processes considering an important variable, i.e. e-literacy of employees.


2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (01) ◽  
pp. 1750002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmoud M. Migdadi ◽  
Mohammed K. Abu Zaid ◽  
Mohammed Yousif ◽  
Ra’d Almestarihi ◽  
Khalil Al-Hyari

There are many studies discussing how knowledge management and market orientation (MO) are positively related to innovation, but an examination of the impact of the knowledge management processes (KMP) — as we conceptualize the four in this study — and MO on the innovation capability of organisations which in turn impact organisational performance has never been done. Hence, this study formulates a comprehensive conceptual framework which encompasses KMP (knowledge creation, intra-organisational knowledge sharing and application, external knowledge acquisition, and knowledge storage and documentation), MO (customer orientation, competitor orientation and inter-functional coordination), innovation capability (product, process, marketing and organisational innovation), and organisational performance (product quality, operational performance and financial performance). Then empirically test the relationships among the study models with the focus on the mediating role of innovation capability. The design of the study is based on a survey of 210 Jordanian manufacturing and service organisations. The sample of this study encompasses the mid-level managers of the organisations. About 440 self-administered questionnaires were distributed among the respondents. Confirmatory factor analysis is undertaken to assess statistically the validity of the study measures. Then the structural equation modelling (SEM) path analysis is used to assess the structural relationship of KMP, MO with innovation capability, and organisational performance. The results of the study reveal that engagement in KMP and MO can lead to better innovation capability in the organisations which in turn can lead to better organisational performance. The results we observe concerning this sample of companies may not be applicable to a greater population of companies from other countries with a different technological base or to specific subsectors of the manufacturing industry (e.g. the food industry). Moreover, the study represents only snapshots since it utilized self-administered questionnaires which also have no qualitative data. For the practicing managers intending to increase the rate of innovation in their firms, this means that KMP and MO are important activities to master. Additionally, managers should put additional emphasis on innovation as it is an important element for achieving improved overall firm’s performance and sustainable competitive power.


2017 ◽  
Vol 117 (3) ◽  
pp. 521-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Koohang ◽  
Joanna Paliszkiewicz ◽  
Jerzy Goluchowski

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to build a research model that examines the impact of leadership on trust, knowledge management and organizational performance. Design/methodology/approach An instrument containing six constructs (leadership: leading organization; leadership: leading people; leadership: leading self, trust, knowledge management and organizational performance) was designed and administered to subjects from all levels of management in various organizations in nine regions of the USA. Collected data were analyzed using partial least squares path modeling to test the hypotheses. Findings The study’s findings revealed positive and significant linear connection among leadership (leading organization, leading people and leading self), trust, knowledge management and organizational performance. Practical implications The findings imply that effective leadership (leading organization, leading people and leading self) contributes to elevated trust among people, promotes the successful implementation of knowledge management processes, and in turn enhances organizational performance. Therefore, leadership training and development must be a top strategic priority for any organization. Originality/value This study enriches the literature by demonstrating that effective leadership stands as the bedrock of the elevated trust, the successful knowledge management processes and the enhanced organizational performance.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Mohammad Migdadi

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to introduce a unified framework which integrates knowledge management processes (knowledge creation, sharing, storage and documentation and acquisition), innovation capability (product, process, marketing and organizational and organizational performance (operational, financial and product quality). Then empirically test the effect of knowledge management processes (KMP) on innovation capability (IC), the effect of IC on organizational performance (OP) and the impact of KMP on OP through the mediator (IC).Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire was designed and addressed to the general managers of the Jordanian companies making up the target population. Statistical techniques employed included confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) using AMOS 24 to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results show that KMP influences IC, IC affects OP and KMP impacts OP through the mediator (IC).Research limitations/implicationsThe use of longitudinal data and comparisons with this study would provide further insights that would assist in generalizing knowledge related to the relationships among KMP, IC and Os' P.Practical implicationsIf organizations fully comprehend KMP and IC, they would be able to implement them successfully, creating value for their companies and improving OP.Originality/valueThe existing research on KMP and IC is primarily conceptual and descriptive in nature, and empirical research confirming the real impact of KMP when developing IC is lacking. Also. the relationship between innovation capabilities and OP has not been adequately studied. Hence, this study introduces a conceptual framework which integrates KMP, IC and OP and simultaneously empirically tests the relationships among them.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
pp. 00-00
Author(s):  
Khawaja Fawad Latif ◽  
Omar Afzal ◽  
Adeel Saqib ◽  
Umar Farooq Sahibzada ◽  
Waqar Alam

PurposeDrawing on the knowledge-based view, the study aims to investigate the impact of knowledge management enablers (entrepreneurial orientation and knowledge-oriented leadership) on knowledge management processes and project success. The study further ascertains the specific combinations of knowledge management enablers and knowledge management processes that can lead to project success.Design/methodology/approachSurvey data were collected from 222 project workers in information technology projects, and the proposed relationships were assessed through partial least squares structural equation modeling while configuration paths were assessed using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis.FindingsThe study found a significant impact of entrepreneurial orientation and knowledge-oriented leadership on knowledge management processes and project success. The analysis also revealed that knowledge management processes did not significantly impact project success. Moreover, the insights from fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis show a clear pattern of equifinality, in that there are multiple combinations of knowledge management enablers and knowledge management processes that can lead to a successful project.Originality/valueThe current study is one of the earlier studies to provide insights to knowledge-based view by demonstrating the inter-relationship of entrepreneurial orientation and knowledge-oriented leadership with knowledge management processes and project success. To the best of authors' knowledge, this is the first study to assess the impact of knowledge-oriented leadership on project success. With limited studies on impact of entrepreneurial orientation and knowledge-oriented leadership on knowledge management processes, the study enriches the literature on linkage of entrepreneurial orientation and knowledge-oriented leadership with knowledge management processes. Methodological contributions include use of fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to reveal multiple pathways to project success.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 178-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aino Kianto ◽  
Muhammad Shujahat ◽  
Saddam Hussain ◽  
Faisal Nawaz ◽  
Murad Ali

Purpose The productivity of knowledge workers is crucial not only for organizational innovation and competitiveness but also for sustainable development. In the context of knowledge-intensive firms, implementation of knowledge management is likely to increase knowledge worker productivity. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of knowledge management on knowledge worker productivity. Design/methodology/approach A research framework on the effects of knowledge management processes on knowledge worker productivity is established and empirically tested with data from 336 knowledge workers at five mobile network operator companies in Pakistan. Findings The results indicate that knowledge creation and knowledge utilization impact knowledge worker productivity positively and statistically significantly. However, knowledge sharing does not have statistically significant impact on knowledge worker productivity. Demographic factors (gender, managerial position and formal education level) do not moderate the relationship between knowledge management and knowledge worker productivity statistically significantly. Research limitations/implications The key limitations are the cross-sectional nature of the data and the geographic limitation to telecom companies in Pakistan. Practical implications Irrespective of gender, education and managerial position, implementation of knowledge management can increase knowledge worker productivity. Therefore, knowledge management practices should be implemented to enhance the knowledge worker productivity via fostering the knowledge worker’s engagement in and propensity to knowledge management processes. Originality/value This study is among the first to examine the likely influence of knowledge management on the productivity of knowledge workers conclusively while controlling for three individual demographic factors. This study also addresses the effectiveness of knowledge management in the little-explored cultural context of Pakistan.


2016 ◽  
Vol 39 (10) ◽  
pp. 1214-1238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bader Yousef Obeidat ◽  
Mai Maher Al-Suradi ◽  
Ra’ed Masa’deh ◽  
Ali Tarhini

Purpose The paper aims to examine the effect of knowledge management processes (knowledge acquisition, knowledge sharing and knowledge utilization) and knowledge management approaches (social network, codification and personalization) on innovation in Jordanian consultancy firms. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire that targets 266 respondents resulted in 216 usable ones with a response rate of 81.2 per cent. To test the research hypotheses, a multiple regression analysis was conducted, in addition to descriptive statistics that provide a background about the respondents. Findings The analysis showed that there is a significant and positive impact of knowledge management processes on innovation in Jordanian consulting firms, as well as a significant and positive effect of codification and personalization approaches on innovation, while the social network approach has a significant negative impact with innovation. Originality/value This is the first study that examines the effect of knowledge management processes (knowledge acquisition, knowledge sharing and knowledge utilization) and knowledge management approaches (social network, codification and personalization) on innovation in Jordanian consultancy firms.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 1657-1676
Author(s):  
Anum Shahzadi ◽  
Shuangyan Li ◽  
Umar Farooq Sahibzada ◽  
Mehwish Malik ◽  
Roshi Khalid ◽  
...  

PurposeConstructed upon a knowledge-based view, the purpose of this paper aims to empirically examine the entrepreneurial leadership impact as knowledge management enabler on knowledge management processes and knowledge management processes on project success. The study further ascertains the mediating role of knowledge worker satisfaction among knowledge management processes and project success.Design/methodology/approachUsing the data collected from 302 project workers from the software industry, China. The research used structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the hypothesis relationships using smart-PLS 3.2.9.FindingsThe outcome of the study reveals that entrepreneurial leadership has a substantial significant impact on knowledge management processes, and knowledge management processes influence project success via knowledge worker satisfaction as a mediator both directly and indirectly. Moreover, the study found partial mediation of knowledge worker satisfaction between knowledge management processes and project success.Practical implicationsThe current research identifies that entrepreneurial leadership may play a role in fostering knowledge management processes in project-based organizations (e.g. software industry) that can use the knowledge management processes to increase their chances of project success. More broadly, the current study contributes to the entrepreneurial leadership, knowledge management processes, knowledge worker satisfaction and project success existing literature and strengthens the relationship and suggest that how project manager's value knowledge worker satisfaction and help organizations gain competitive advantage and project success.Originality/valueAlthough there is an increased significance of knowledge management in the software industry, there is a lack of research that examines the enabling factors and outcomes of knowledge management practices. The present study is one of the first studies to ascertain the relationship of entrepreneurial leadership, knowledge management processes, knowledge worker satisfaction and project success. This is one of the initial researches that not only empirically examines the interrelationships among these variables but also enlighten insights into the current literature by instantaneous investigation of the mediating role of knowledge worker satisfaction.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ata Al Shraah ◽  
Ayman Abu-Rumman ◽  
Faisal Al Madi ◽  
Fawwaz Ali Farhan Alhammad ◽  
Ayah Ahmad AlJboor

PurposeThis study aimed to investigate the impact of total quality practices on knowledge management (KM) processes across a Social Security Corporation (SSC) in Jordan and explore the best approach to improve KM processes using quality management.Design/methodology/approachThis study followed a quantitative methodology: a conceptual model was developed based on an extensive review of the related literature; an online survey was developed and distributed using the SSC's intranet; and 384 surveys were completed and used in the statistical analysis. The two-stage approach of structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze and interpret the data, and was used to validate the conceptual model of this research.FindingsBased on the statistical analysis it was found that six out of seven independent factors relating to quality management practices were confirmed to have a significant impact on the knowledge management processes (KMPs). Building upon the findings an agenda for improving KM processes using quality management is proposed.Originality/valueThis study was conducted in one organization namely the SSC because it is the largest public service organization in Jordan and offers compulsory services. The inclusion of other public organizations and companies may reflect different findings. Future research may collect data from other service industries to get a more comprehensive perspective from developing countries such as Jordan. Moreover, the population of this study included only the General Director, General Director Assistants, and Administrative Managers. Front-line employees were excluded from the data collection because the study was conducted solely from a managerial perspective.


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