Knowledge management processes, knowledge worker satisfaction, and organizational performance. Symmetric and asymmetrical analysis
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/AJIM-10-2019-0276 |
| Date | 17 December 2019 |
| Pages | 112-129 |
| Published date | 17 December 2019 |
| Author | Umar Farooq Sahibzada,Jianfeng Cai,Khawaja Fawad Latif,Hassam Farooq Sahibzada |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Information behaviour & retrieval,Information & knowledge management,Information management & governance,Information management |
Knowledge management
processes, knowledge
worker satisfaction, and
organizational performance
Symmetric and asymmetrical analysis
Umar Farooq Sahibzada and Jianfeng Cai
Department of Management Sciences,
Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, China
Khawaja Fawad Latif
Department of Management Science,
COMSATS University Islamabad –Attock Campus, Attock, Pakistan, and
Hassam Farooq Sahibzada
University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy
Abstract
Purpose –Drawing on the knowledge-based view, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the
interrelationship between Knowledge Management (KM) processes, Knowledge Worker Satisfaction (KWS)
and Organizational Performance (OP). Additionally, the study further seeks to identify the combinations of
KM processes and KWS dimensions that can lead to enhanced OP.
Design/methodology/approach –Data were collected from 248 academics and administration employees
of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The relationships were tested using SmartPLS 3.2.7. The study also
employed fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) for examining configurational paths.
Findings –The results of the study revealed that KM processes significantly affect KWS and KWS enhances
OP in HEIs. Based on fsQCA, the results revealed multiple configurational paths to improved OP.
Originality/value –There is significant lack of research that ascertains the inter-relationship between KM
processes, KWS, and OP. This is one of the initial studies that examines the relationship of KM processes,
KWS, and OP in HEI’s. From a methodological perspective, the study contributes by combining symmetric
and asymmetric statistical tools in KM literature. fsQCA helps to understand the interactions that might not
be immediately obvious through traditional symmetric methods.
Keywords Knowledge management processes, Knowledgeworker satisfaction, Organizationalperformance
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) require teamwork, association, and effort, Knowledge
Management (KM) can fill in as an impetus for upgraded cooperation and investigation
(Ramjeawon and Rowley, 2018; Iqbal et al., 2019). HEIs are encouraged to acquire, share
and use knowledge. The metamorphic and reframing move of HEIs in research and
economic reformation has dominated and surmounted outdated, musty and decayed
teaching tradition (Ramjeawon and Rowley, 2018). At present, HEIs are assumed as
establishments with enthusiastic, creative knowledge generation, and proclamation
(Bano and Taylor, 2015). HEIs are crucial for knowledge acquisition, sharing and
utilization and in this manner, add to the social, financial advancement and development
(Iqbal et al., 2019).
Researchers have defined and scrutinized the KM ability of organizations in the context
of KM processes (Iqbal et al., 2019; Gold et al., 2001). KM processes are usually defined as
Aslib Journal of Information
Management
Vol. 72 No. 1, 2020
pp. 112-129
© Emerald PublishingLimited
2050-3806
DOI 10.1108/AJIM-10-2019-0276
Received 6 October 2019
Revised 18 November 2019
Accepted 20 November 2019
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
https://www.emerald.com/insight/2050-3806.htm
112
AJIM
72,1
actions associated with knowledge acquisition, sharing and utilization that improve
organizational competitiveness (Barley et al., 2018; Teixeira et al., 2018; Iqbal et al., 2019).
A great number of previousresearches have stated the isolatedor instantaneous constructive
influence of KM processes on performance or efficiency of organizations (Iqbal et al., 2019;
Gold et al., 2001). An assessment of existing literature associated with KM has helped to
recognize significant gaps that need to be filled in the field of HEIs.
First, although significantly limited but one investigation suggest that KM produces a
high level of knowledge worker satisfaction (KWS) within organizations (Shujahat et al.,
2018) which can allows organizations to gain high level of organizational performance
(OP) (Al-Hakim and Hassan, 2016; Iqbal et al., 2019). Consequently, the need for further
study into the relationship between KM and KWS is clearly highlighted and future studies
should give serious attention to stated variables in knowledge-intensive organizations
(Shujahat et al., 2018).
Second, the role of the KWS to intensify OP has not been adequately explored.
Predominantly, existing research has overlooked KWS and the way in which KM results in
improved performance of the HEIs. Thus, there is a dearth in scientific exploration
investigating the relationship of KWS with KM and HEIs performance. Current research
claims that in HEIs, the knowledge workers with KM know-how and practicality could
pointedly advance their inclusive satisfaction. Since, through the provision of KM processes
within organizations, the level of satisfaction of workers increases (Kianto et al., 2016a, b,
2018; Shujahat et al., 2018). In literary or discourse circle, as far as authors could possibly
know, there is no convincing proof that securitizes the KM as a tool in higher education to
advance the satisfaction of knowledge workers.
Third, earlier research has depended essentially on balanced correlational strategies to give
general data about the variables that influence OP, creating a solitary overriding model of
“net effects”(Henriques et al., 2018). Fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis ( fsQCA) is a
preparative, and repetitious technique that uncovers designs in the information that will, in
general, be concealed by symmetric methods strategies (Douglas and Prentice, 2019). fsQCA is a
contemporary and modern ongoing methodology in KM discourse (Cabrilo and Dahms, 2018),
and it is critical to push the capability of fsQCA as an exploration technique for KM research.
While fsQCA is winding up progressively in management discipline for examining a moderate
number of cases from an agreed and specified hypothetic point of view (Kraus et al., 2018). In the
occurrences where the interaction between conditions (i.e. the design) is accepted to be of focal
significance, fsQCA proposes increasingly exact forecasts of the result with respect to the linear
additive approach (de Rooij et al., 2019). fsQCA also investigates the potential interdependency
of all antecedent conditions, rather than a limited number of two and three-way interactions.
Thus, fsQCA provides a complementary way to examine data that resonates with the holistic
decision-making process and reveals additional fine-grained information on how to attain a
particular outcome (Douglas and Prentice, 2019). The set-theoretic methodologies have some
solid points of interest for particularly the investigation of KM (Cabrilo and Dahms, 2018),
fsQCA will help to calculate causal sufficient configurations (i.e. combination of factors) leading
to OP which is significantly lacking in the KM literature.
Fourth, since HEIs comprise of numerous unified components, a kind of investigation
that is touchy to the potential intricate nature concerning this (like fsQCA) appears to be
especially encouraging to consider KM forms in KWS discourse in HEIs setting. fsQCA
likewise examines the potential interdependency of every precursor state, instead of a
predetermined number of two and three-way exchanges. fsQCA appears to be relevant to
settings of KM processes, as organizations are probably not going to simultaneously have
all KM processes and KWS properties. fsQCA can uncover if or at the same time KM
processes are advantageous, unfavorable or immaterial to knowledge worker fulfilment
related to other KM Procedures properties. Subsequently, this current investigation’s
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KM processes,
KWS and OP
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