How leaders can initiate knowledge management in organizations: Role of leadership style in building knowledge infrastructure

Motivations for the initiation of knowledge management activities in times of routine and emergency

Purpose

This research seeks to understand, for the first time, what motivates knowledge-intensive organizations (KIOs) to initiate knowledge management (KM) activities in times of routine and emergency. The COVID-19 pandemic was placed at the center as a case study of an extreme crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the adoption of the qualitative-constructivist paradigm, the study was conducted among 52 KM professionals through in-depth interviews and focus groups. The data were analyzed using a thematic analysis method, according to the principles of the grounded theory approach.

Findings

The findings reveal that opportunities and risks are two types of catalysts which accelerate KM efforts in times of routine and emergency respectively. Due to KM’s support of the transition to flexible employment during COVID-19, the authors show that this field experienced real growth and prosperity in the “new normal.” KM initiatives were promoted during the COVID-19 crisis in light of gaps in retention, sharing, accessibility and development of knowledge.

Originality/value

Given that knowledge risks are a field with fragmented understanding, the results contribute to understanding the importance of risk management related to knowledge in times of crises and turmoil. The authors call for incorporating this niche into the overall risk management of the organization, while adopting a holistic and long-term perspective of KM. Furthermore, the authors uncover KM’s position in KIOs during the global pandemic. The paper proposes food for thought regarding informal knowledge sharing in virtual environments typical of the “Corona routine”.

Do HR practices facilitate innovative work behaviour? Empirical evidence from higher education institutes

BACKGROUND: Nothing we do is more important than hiring and developing people. At the end of the day, you bet on people, not on strategies,” Lawrence Bossily. OBJECTIVE: Drawing on the above quote, this study investigates the role of High-performance work practices (HPWP) in fostering innovative work behaviour (IWB) of service sector employees. METHODOLOGY: Data collected by structured questionnaires were analysed through the structural equation modelling technique. RESULTS: Findings showed that selection and training & development play a significant role in fostering innovative work behaviour. Moreover, self-efficacy proved to be a significant mediator in the mechanism of HPWP-IWB. CONCLUSION: The finding of the study underpins the reciprocity perspective of the social exchange theory (SET). Additionally, the study also endorses that human resources are not a thing companies do. It is the thing that runs businesses.

Technology and leadership styles: a review of trends between 2003 and 2021

Purpose

Leadership style denotes the behavioural pattern of a leader, which bears on employee's attitude, perception about organization, manager and job satisfaction. The existence of different styles has presented leadership from diverse perspectives related to individuals' personality and behaviour. The main objective of this article is to explore the association between leadership styles and technology, major themes in this area and what can be the future research directions of this work.

Design/methodology/approach

Leadership style denotes the behavioural pattern of leader, which bears on employee's attitude, perception about organization, manager and job satisfaction. The existence of different styles has presented leadership from diverse perspectives related to individuals' personality and behaviour. The present article aims to review significant work by eminent researchers towards technology and leadership styles in the form trends, annual scientific production; popular affiliations and sources, a three-field plot of countries, scholars and themes, most cited references, trending keywords, thematic analysis of leadership styles and technology research by taking insights from situational leadership theory.

Findings

The findings indicate connections between various keywords and provide interesting themes like transformational leadership style is connected to knowledge management, transactional leadership, empowering leadership, psychological capital and e-leadership. Similarly, leadership is connected to leadership development, gender stereotypes, emotional exhaustion, innovative leadership and organizational performance.

Originality/value

This review analysis of leadership styles and technology is in itself a novice contribution and first of its nature. The identified themes are presenting good knowledge and food for thought for future researches.

Ethical leadership in project-based organizations of Pakistan: the role of psychological empowerment and Islamic work ethics

Purpose

This study aims to examine the relationship between ethical leadership and project success directly and indirectly through psychological empowerment along with the moderating role of Islamic work ethic.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a time-lagged design, data were gathered from 202 employees working in project-based organizations of Pakistan. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the distinctiveness of variables used in the study.

Findings

Consistent with the cognitive evaluation theory, the findings supported the hypotheses other than the moderating role of Islamic work ethics between psychological empowerment and project success. The results confirmed that ethical leadership promotes project success directly and indirectly via psychological empowerment. Furthermore, theoretical and practical implications are also discussed highlighting the importance of ethical leadership for researchers and practitioners.

Originality/value

Literature is insufficient on the topic of ethical leadership in the project management domain with the effect of Islamic work ethics and psychological empowerment. Therefore, the current study explored unanswered research questions in the project management domain.

Trust in leaders and employee silence behaviour: Evidence from higher education institutions in Indonesia

BACKGROUND: It is important for decision-makers such as leaders to be aware of employee silence behaviour within organizations. Failure to see this phenomenon tends to reduce the quality of information regarding potential issues in the organizations. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effect of trust in leaders on employee silence behaviour and the mediating role of organizational commitment within this relationship. METHODS: Data were collected from academicians working at private higher education institutions within an Indonesia city. Relying on the social exchange theory, the current study tested the hypotheses through the analysis of partial least square –structural equation modeling (PLS–SEM). RESULTS: Findings confirmed that trust in leaders positively affects organizational commitment and negatively affects employee silence behaviour. Furthermore, results suggested that organizational commitment fully mediates the link between trust in leaders and employee silence behaviour. CONCLUSIONS: These findings present a valuable contribution for scholars and managers in understanding the mechanism underlying the relationship between trust in leaders and employee silence behaviour, especially in non-profit organizational settings such as higher education institutions in Indonesia.

Does the knowledge-sharing platform specialist matter in knowledge sharing for secured KMS?

BACKGROUND: Knowledge remains a competitive, intangible resource in today’s contemporary organizations. Most knowledge management initiatives aimed at leveraging knowledge for sustainable corporate performance. Knowledge sharing is fundamental to growing intellectual capital. Security on knowledge resources is a prerequisite to quality knowledge content. To increase trust in both knowledge content and security, a knowledge-sharing platform specialist (KsPS) plays a significant role in the overall management and authentication of corporate intellectual capital. OBJECTIVE: This paper analyzes the contributive role of the KsPS and investigates whether or not KsPS matters in strengthening knowledge quality and security in organizations. METHODS: We conducted a broader review of relevant literature on issues relating to knowledge management, knowledge security, KsPS, and sharing platforms to have a better understanding of roles played by the KsPS. Besides, 18 KsPS from 15 organizations were interviewed through telephone or Skype regarding their role expectations in knowledge sharing, quality, and security in the knowledge management system (KMS). Thematic analysis was done to obtain the relevant themes for the study. RESULTS: The study established that the KsPS provides quality facilitative roles in knowledge-sharing processes for secured KMS. Thus, the KsPS significantly contributes to knowledge codification and internalization. CONCLUSIONS: With very little recognition of the KsPS in the existing KMS literature, this study draws attention to the management of organizations about the need to invest in a KsPS for quality knowledge support services and increased knowledge security.

The Effects of Transformational Leadership on Organizational Performance: Testing the Mediating Effects of Knowledge Management

Transformational leadership is a sustainable and exemplary form of leadership that liberates subordinates’ ideas, enables subordinates to view problems from a different perspective, helps adaptation to changing environments, and increases Human Resources Management effectiveness in public and service institutions. The effects of transformational leadership on organizational performance by means of knowledge management have been examined in this study on the northern Cyprus Security Forces. In addition, the study aims to analyze the relationships between transformational leadership, knowledge management, organizational performance, job satisfaction, organizational learning, and knowledge creation processes. The questionnaire was conducted in three different periods using a time-lag method, and data were collected from 1229 employees for this study. The collected data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (Lisrel 8.54). The findings of the research include 17 hypotheses that were supported, and 1 hypothesis that was not. In addition, it was determined that organizational learning, knowledge management, and job satisfaction mediate the effect of transformational leadership on organizational performance.

Factors Affecting Knowledge Management and Its Effect on Organizational Performance: Mediating the Role of Human Capital

This study aims to investigate and identify the factors affecting the empowerment and implementation of knowledge management in organizations as well as the impact of knowledge management on organizational performance. This study also examines the mediating role of human capital in the relationship between knowledge management and performance of Kabul Steel Plant, which is the largest steel plant in Afghanistan. The research model was developed through the literature review. The initial data were collected through a questionnaire containing 48 questions. Participants were 108 managers and administrative staff of the company. The collected data were analyzed by using the SPSS and SmartPLS software. The hypotheses regarding the impact of strategy and technology on knowledge management were rejected by using correlation analysis and t-test statistic. Finally, the findings showed the positive effects of variables of structure, culture, leadership, and trust on knowledge management in an organization. Also, knowledge management influences the organizational performance, both directly and through the mediating variable of human capital. This research encourages the managers and employees of organizations to use the available organizational resources to implement knowledge management in organizations and improve knowledge management practices and human resources that are the most valuable resources of any organization in order to remain competitive in the markets.

Theoretical development of servant leadership in a military context: A mixed methods research

Purpose: The present study aimed to both develop and validate a model for servant leadership in a military context. Design/methodology/approach: The exploratory sequential mixed methods design with two phases was used. Firstly, in the qualitative phase, the process of servant leadership in a military context was developed using a systematic approach of grounded theory. Secondly, in the quantitative phase, the relationship between the components of servant leadership was explained and the developed model was validated. Findings: The result of the qualitative phase show certain personal, organizational and social antecedents form the ideology of sacrifice in leaders which include: spiritually, intelligent and developed personality (personal antecedents); organizational culture, models and incentives (organizational antecedents); and reference groups and social events (social antecedents). The ideology of sacrifice resulted in choosing special behaviors of servant leadership by leaders. These behaviors include: creating service climate; developing standards; building trust; empowering followers comprehensively; and effective persuasion which cause positive personal and organizational outcomes. According to the results of quantitative phase, the proposed model has an appropriate fitness. Practical implications: The results of this research can be used to develop certain criteria for selecting servant leaders. Accordingly, certain training programs can be developed to promote competencies in organizational leaders. Originality/value: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to develop a model for servant leadership in a military context using a mixed methods design.

Does inclusive leadership incite innovative work behavior?

BACKGROUND: Dynamic and globalized business environment incites organizations to be innovative for long-term survival. This central role of innovation provokes the continuing interest of social scientists in determining the antecedents of Innovative work behavior in organizations. OBJECTIVE: In line with the prior studies, this study aims to investigate the role of inclusive leadership in fostering employee innovative work behavior. Additionally, this study also investigates the mediating role of psychological safety. METHODS: Data were collected through a questionnaire from employees working in Pakistani banks. Hypothesized relationships were analyzed using structural equation modeling. RESULTS: The findings of the study depicted a positive relationship between inclusive leadership and IWB, while mediation of psychological safety was also established. CONTRIBUTION: This study contributes to the existing literature in multiple ways. Although the link between inclusive leadership and creativity is measured but in what ways inclusive leadership develops the perception of employees, which leads towards positive outcomes is a contribution. This study extends the understanding of relational leadership by focusing on its specific dimension that is IL, instead of focusing on the broader construct of leadership.

The impact of organizational learning culture, workforce diversity and knowledge management on innovation and organization performance: A structural equation modeling approach

BACKGROUND: Innovation is founded as a strong contributor to the formulation of competitive strategy and enhance organizational performance. Different organizations dropped drastically from the competition by not innovating their products and services. PURPOSE: To analyze the relationship of an organizational learning culture, workforce diversity and knowledge management with innovation and organizational performance, this topic is also has become an important topic in the field of management. With a few exceptions, however, the literature has focused on different business and small and medium-size enterprise, but this study intends to bridge this gap by testing the framework in educational institutes. METHODS: A quantitative research method is used to test the conceptual framework. The data was collected from Malaysian, and Thailand private sector universities; a closed-ended questionnaire was administrated to collect the data. Data is analyzed through statistical software SMART-PLS RESULTS: Findings of the study reveal that the exogenous variables knowledge management, organization learning culture, and workforce diversity has a significant and positive relationship with endogenous variable innovation and further innovation has a significant and positive association with organization performance. CONCLUSION: This study reveals that workforce diversity, knowledge management and organizational learning culture play a vital role to bring the innovation which further enhances the organization performance. Due to current pandemic COVID-19, educational institutes required more innovative process of teaching and operation, a learning culture, knowledge management systems and diverse workforce can play a vital role in the educational institute innovation process.