Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial Management, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran
2 MA of Executive Management, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran
Abstract
1. Introduction
Organizations think about improving their KM (KM) system and their business performance, consequently. This advantage provides a clear understanding of how to create, develop and distribute knowledge through the organization. KM could bridge between different departments of the organization so that employees can use existing knowledge in the proper way (Kiklhorn et al., 2020). In the literature, different dimensions for KM have been introduced. In one definition, KM includes knowledge creation (Kusumastuti et al., 2021), knowledge sharing (Abbas and Sagsan, 2021), knowledge application (Sarboland and Nakhostin, 2014), knowledge distribution (Jasimuddin, 2007) and knowledge transfer (Oli and Dhanasekaran, 2021).
Many researchers studied how KM practices facilitate innovation, and some studies argue that KM is an important precursor for organizational innovation. Despite the interest in KM and innovation, a few studies have been conducted in this field that relate KM practices to innovation at the business level, especially in developing countries (Ode & Ayavoo, 2020). While leadership researches have mainly focused on leadership styles and their relationship with explorative and exploitative innovation or specific KM incentives, this research focuses on the knowledge-oriented leadership style. Kelly emphasizes that it simultaneously supports both explorative (knowledge creation) and exploitative (knowledge accumulation, transfer and application) incentives. Therefore, the topics of this research show that this type of organizational leadership is necessary for organizations in the field of technology in order to improve innovation through effective development and implementation of KM incentives.
2. Literature Review
In recent decades, several studies have investigated KM in organizations. Chaithanapat et al. (2022) investigated the relationships between knowledge-based leadership, customer KM, innovation quality and performance of SMEs in Thailand. Kusumastuti et al. (2021) investigated KM for natural disaster preparedness in Indonesia. Oli and Dhanasekaran (2021) studied the product service system, service quality and KM system in their study. Mikovic et al. (2020) addressed key challenges for development projects and international cooperation of non-profit organizations with social integration and KM. Anjaria (2020) investigated new perspectives for KM in learning organizations. In another study, Ode and Ayavoo (2020) investigated the mediating role of knowledge application in the relationship between KM practices and company innovation. Vaio et al. (2021) investigated the role of digital innovation in KM systems. Abbas and Sagsan (2019) examined the impact of KM practices on green innovation and sustainable development of organizations. Martins et al. (2019) examined the research gaps in terms of research themes, strategies, goals and approaches in SMEs companies. Among older researches, we can mention the study of Curado et al. (2017), Oliveira et al. (2015), Sáenz et al. (2012), Liu and Phillips (2011), etc.
3. Methodology
The current research is descriptive-correlational in terms of method, applied in terms of purpose, and field-type in terms of data collection method. The statistical population of the research includes all the public organizations of Guilan province (61 organizations), which were studied in the period of six months ending in September 2018. Due to the possibility of access to all the elements of the statistical population, all the organizations were examined, in such a way that the researcher went to each of the general offices, and the questionnaire was given to the head of the organization, the vice presidents and HR manager. In this procedure, 104 usable questionnaires were collected, and the average answers given in each organization were considered as one questionnaire. To answer the questions, a 5-point Likert scale from completely disagree (1) to completely agree (5), was used. Content validity was used to check the validity of the questionnaire and Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to calculate its reliability. Finally, SPSS software was applied to describe the research variables, and structural equation modeling method and PLS software were used to test the research hypotheses.
4. Results
The results of the hypotheses test verified the significant impact of knowledge transfer on innovative performance (r = 0.63), knowledge application on innovative performance (r = 0.26) and knowledge creation on innovative performance (r = 0.21). The effect of knowledge accumulation on innovative performance is significant both through knowledge transfer and knowledge application. Finally, based on the findings, the effect of knowledge-oriented leadership on knowledge documentation (r=0.58), the effect of knowledge-oriented leadership on knowledge application (r=0.39) and the effect of knowledge-oriented leadership on knowledge creation (r=0.41) =) is significant. However, the effect of knowledge-oriented leadership on knowledge transfer is not significant.
5. Discussion
Information and communication technologies form a major part of knowledge accumulation procedures and facilitate the transfer of knowledge and its application in the organization. On the other hand, knowledge-oriented leadership has a positive significant relationship with KM procedures, knowledge documentation, knowledge application, and knowledge creation, however, the relationship between knowledge-oriented leadership and knowledge transfer was not found to be significant. Since knowledge-based leadership acts as the driving force of KM incentives, the leadership style has an indirect relationship with innovation. Especially, the higher the level of knowledge-based leadership in the company, the more developed KM procedures are, which in turn will positively affect innovation. Therefore, with the result of these four sub-hypotheses, except for the first one, they are in line with the results of the research.
6. Conclusion
Using a combination of knowledge accumulation and transfer procedures, firms are able to increase the quality of their technological products. On the other hand, KM systems will be suitable for sharing and transferring knowledge when the company develops personalization policies and has adequate knowledge accumulation. Since the procedures of knowledge accumulation include storage, structuring or gathering of information, its effect on performance will be much more impressive when the members of the organization have specific goals. When the implementation of knowledge accumulation procedures is accompanied by knowledge transfer and application procedures, organizational innovation will be affected. In addition, the incentives for knowledge transfer or application will be more effective if it is accompanied by the proper knowledge collection and structuring in a database. Therefore, the transfer and application of knowledge will have a mediating role in the relationship between knowledge accumulation procedures and innovation.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank all of the experts who participated in this research.
Keywords
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