TY - JOUR
T1 - Top management support and knowledge sharing
T2 - the strategic role of affiliation and trust in academic environment
AU - Lo, Man Fung
AU - Tian, Feng
AU - Ng, Peggy Mei Lan
N1 - Funding Information:
M.C. is the incumbent of the Dr. William Ganz Chair of Heart Studies, at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. This study was supported by the Pepka and Dr. Moshe Berg man Memorial Fund and by research grants from the Faculties of Medicine and Dental Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel (M.C.); The Austrian Org anization of the Friends of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the Fond zur Forderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (FWF), Vienna (M.C.); and in part by Binational Science Foundation Research Grant #95-00324/3 from US-Israel Binational Science Foundation (M.C.). The authors wish to thank Ms. Amalia Zissu of the Maurice and Helene Bletterman Laboratory for the Study of Macromolecules in the Unit of Interdepartmental Equipment of the Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Ms. Maayan Gal, Ms. Ninel Aronov and Ms. Ruth Levy of the Department of Human Nutrition and Metabolism, for their excellent technical help.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.
PY - 2021/3/1
Y1 - 2021/3/1
N2 - Purpose: Knowledge sharing, the most important process in knowledge management, enables knowledge-intensive organizations to foster innovations and to gain competitiveness. Universities, the best contemporary embodiments of knowledge-intensive organizations, nowadays face fiercer competition in the changing world. Knowledge sharing is the key for academic departments to gain competitive advantages through innovation. However, limited studies examined the relationships between top management support, knowledge sharing and affiliation and trust. Based on the literature review, this study developed a research model which aims to examine the relationship between top management support and knowledge sharing, and the mediating role played by affiliation and trust. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire survey was conducted in eight universities in Hong Kong. Data gathered from 109 professoriate staff (including chairs, professors and [research] associate/assistant professors) were used to test the four hypotheses in the research model with partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings: The results showed that top management support has a positive impact on affiliation and trust, and that affiliation and trust also have a positive impact on knowledge sharing. However, this study showed an insignificant linkage between top management support and knowledge sharing. Therefore, this study confirmed the mediating role played by affiliation and trust. Practical implications: Based on the results, this study provided recommendations on how academic management and knowledge management consultants increase the faculty members’ affiliation and trust, for instance, mentoring, performance appraisal system, social interactions and communication pathways. Originality/value: The findings of this study contribute to the literature in two ways. First, affiliation and trust are two interplayed elements of team climate that should be considered together. Second, this study validates affiliation and trust as a full mediator between top management support and knowledge sharing.
AB - Purpose: Knowledge sharing, the most important process in knowledge management, enables knowledge-intensive organizations to foster innovations and to gain competitiveness. Universities, the best contemporary embodiments of knowledge-intensive organizations, nowadays face fiercer competition in the changing world. Knowledge sharing is the key for academic departments to gain competitive advantages through innovation. However, limited studies examined the relationships between top management support, knowledge sharing and affiliation and trust. Based on the literature review, this study developed a research model which aims to examine the relationship between top management support and knowledge sharing, and the mediating role played by affiliation and trust. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire survey was conducted in eight universities in Hong Kong. Data gathered from 109 professoriate staff (including chairs, professors and [research] associate/assistant professors) were used to test the four hypotheses in the research model with partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings: The results showed that top management support has a positive impact on affiliation and trust, and that affiliation and trust also have a positive impact on knowledge sharing. However, this study showed an insignificant linkage between top management support and knowledge sharing. Therefore, this study confirmed the mediating role played by affiliation and trust. Practical implications: Based on the results, this study provided recommendations on how academic management and knowledge management consultants increase the faculty members’ affiliation and trust, for instance, mentoring, performance appraisal system, social interactions and communication pathways. Originality/value: The findings of this study contribute to the literature in two ways. First, affiliation and trust are two interplayed elements of team climate that should be considered together. Second, this study validates affiliation and trust as a full mediator between top management support and knowledge sharing.
KW - Affiliation
KW - Higher education
KW - Knowledge sharing
KW - Top management support
KW - Trust
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85102171716&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1108/JKM-10-2020-0800
DO - 10.1108/JKM-10-2020-0800
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85102171716
SN - 1367-3270
VL - 25
SP - 2161
EP - 2177
JO - Journal of Knowledge Management
JF - Journal of Knowledge Management
IS - 9
ER -