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Knowledge sharing has become an integral part of organizations’ business strategies, along with aiding organizations to grow and innovate in the market, and gain competitive advantage. This paper aims to concentrate on the role of tacit knowledge sharing in fostering innovation capability of an organization. Specifically, the study considers social capital (relational, cognitive and structural) as an important precursors to tacit knowledge sharing, which in turn, influences innovation capability of an organization. The study further discusses the role that knowledge reciprocation plays in successful tacit knowledge sharing. The relation between knowledge quality and innovation capability is also discussed in the paper.

The investigation started with a review of extant literature in the field of knowledge sharing and innovation to derive a set of constructs. A set of hypotheses was developed based on the identified constructs, which was subsequently validated through a primary survey based on a structured questionnaire on a sample size of 190 respondents from the Indian industrial domain. The survey responses were subsequently analysed using the statistical technique of structural equation modeling and conclusions were drawn from the findings. Additionally, careful attention was paid in eliminating the common method bias, which is often associated with a primary survey.

A set of six hypotheses were derived based on the identified constructs and were subsequently validated. While validating the hypotheses, it was observed that while knowledge reciprocity, relational social capital and cognitive social capital was positive associated with tacit knowledge sharing, structural social capital did not have a significant effect on the same. Additionally, it was also observed that both tacit knowledge sharing and the quality of knowledge were positively associated with innovation capability.

The present day business marked by intense competition requires firms to be more aware of their innovative capabilities. Effective sharing of knowledge or information can be deemed as a vital component in achieving this objective. Organizations that practice and nurture innovation activities can use the findings of the current study as a part of their knowledge management strategy. In addition to using the explicit knowledge, which are structured in nature, organizations can also start using tacit knowledge to harness their innovation potential – and the findings from the current study can act as a motivational tool for them to do so.

Although there is a growing body of literature concerning the role of knowledge management in innovation, there still a dearth in discussing the role of tacit knowledge sharing in exploiting the innovation capability of an organization. The main discussion of this paper brings together a set of important constructs that exhibits the significant role that tacit knowledge sharing plays in determining the innovation capability of an organization. Furthermore, it tries to marry the concepts of social capital and tacit knowledge sharing with innovation capability, therefore adding significantly to the body of literature in knowledge management as well as innovation.

The study aims to explore the impact of tacit knowledge sharing (TKS) factors and its consequences in the form of technological innovation capabilities (TICs) within Pakistani software small–medium enterprises (SSMEs).

Drawing upon the social exchange theory (SET), the study used a quantitative approach and structural equation modeling (SEM) to test hypotheses with 220 valid data collected from 23 Pakistani software SSMEs.

The peer influence (PI) has positive and significant effect on collaborative culture (CC), willingness to share tacit knowledge (WSTK) and TICs. Organizational trust (OT) has a positive and significant impact on CC and TIC. Whereas, CC possessed positive and significant effect on WSTK and insignificant on TIC. Furthermore, WSTK has positive and significant effect on TIC. Finally, WSTK partially mediates the relationship between PI and TIC whereas WSTK fully mediates the relationship between CC and TIC.

The study enriches the research on knowledge sharing and TIC. This research investigates the precursors of tacit knowledge-sharing willingness and their consequences in software SMEs; future studies need to examine tacit knowledge-seeking willingness and its consequences not only in software enterprises but also in other industrial sectors. Besides, it needs to evaluate types of innovative capabilities in software SMEs.

The study suggested that the practitioners need to strengthen TKS in the form employees’ updated skills and expertise which ultimately fosters software enterprise’s innovative capabilities to attain competitive advantages in a specific industry.

This research is one of the few studies to examine the potential antecedents of WSTK and their final effects within software SMEs in the form of TICs. As currently it is observed, an incredible increase of skills oriented innovations in firms particularly in the software domain and IT industry. Therefore, this study emphasizes how PI, OT and WSTK positively affect TIC of Pakistani software SMEs. However, the study could be considered as a guideline for the academia and practitioners who attempt to strengthen the technological innovations capabilities in software SMEs.

This paper aims to investigate how knowledge sharing influences technological innovation capability (TIC) of the software small- and medium-sized enterprises (SSMEs).

Based on the theories regarding knowledge management, TIC, software engineering and open innovation, this paper constructed a research model comprising factors affecting knowledge sharing, knowledge sharing and TIC, and then tested the model quantitatively. The study focuses on SSMEs in China collecting 457 online questionnaires and uses a structural equation model to test the hypotheses.

The knowledge sharing culture, organizational structure, middle-level leadership and management system have significantly positive effects on tacit knowledge sharing; management system and IT support have significantly positive effects on explicit knowledge sharing; both explicit and tacit knowledge sharing have significantly positive effects on TIC.

The study enriches the research on knowledge sharing and TIC. However, it does not consider factors affecting knowledge sharing at the non-organizational level or the interaction between explicit and tacit knowledge sharing.

The study offers several recommendations/suggestions for helping SSMEs to promote and implement explicit or tacit knowledge sharing and TIC.

This paper examines the impact of knowledge sharing on TIC from the perspective of knowledge management deconstructing knowledge sharing from the epistemological dimension and the TIC of software companies on the basis of software engineering theory. It provided a new theoretical perspective for the research of knowledge management and technological innovation management in SSMEs.

This study aims to examine how knowledge sharing contributes to organizations’ ambidexterity, their overall performance and the role of knowledge quality in this relationship. Knowledge sharing is conceptualized based on tacit and explicit dimensions, and ambidexterity is viewed as comprising exploitative and explorative capabilities.

This study uses a cross-sectional survey-based research design and structural equation modeling to test the proposed model of knowledge sharing and knowledge quality in organizational ambidexterity and the related hypotheses.

The results indicate that tacit knowledge sharing has a significant, direct impact on the exploitative and explorative capabilities of the organization and indirectly impacts both dimensions of ambidexterity (i.e. exploitative and explorative) through knowledge quality. In contrast, explicit knowledge sharing does not have a significant impact on knowledge quality and affects only the exploitative extent of ambidexterity. Both exploitative and explorative capabilities significantly impact organizational performance.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first study to empirically examine the role of knowledge quality in the context of knowledge sharing for ambidexterity, especially within the context of organizations in the United Arab Emirates.

Given the important role of knowledge sharing (KS) processes for organizational innovation, the purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating roles of tacit and explicit KS in bridging the relationship between high-involvement human resource management (HRM) practices and specific aspects of innovation capability, namely, product and process innovation.

Analysis of moment structures and structural equation modeling are applied to examine the correlation among the constructs based on the survey data collected from 111 manufacturing and service firms.

The empirical findings reveal that KS processes positively mediate the relationship between high-involvement HRM practices and innovation capability. It highlights the important role of explicit KS in fostering aspects of innovation capability compared to the effects of tacit KS on aspect of innovation capability.

Vietnamese firms should pay much attention to high-involvement HRM practices to improve their innovation capabilities. In addition, fostering the willingness of employees for sharing tacit knowledge (e.g. experiences, uncommon understandings and insights) and explicit knowledge (e.g. formal information, official documents and reports and procedures and policies) is one of the most optimal solutions for firms to pursuit product and process innovation capability.

This paper significantly contributes to increasing knowledge and insights on the correlation between high-involvement HRM practices and specific forms of innovation. The understanding on mediating role of KS processes contributes to advancing the body of knowledge of HRM practices and innovation theory.

Owing to the growing importance of frugal innovation to the development of firms in the developing and emerging countries, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of inclusive leadership (IL) on frugal innovation through the mediating roles of tacit and explicit knowledge sharing (EK). It also explores the possible moderating role of competitive intensity (CI) in the relationship between knowledge sharing (KS) and frugal innovation.

This study collected data via a questionnaire survey of a sample of 325 participants from 112 manufacturing and service firms to validate the relationship between inclusive leadership, knowledge sharing behaviors, competitive intensity and frugal innovation. Structural equation modeling and regression are adopted to estimate the effects of inclusive leadership on frugal innovation through the mediating role of knowledge sharing and moderating role of competitive intensity.

Findings reveals the significant impacts of inclusive leadership on aspects of knowledge sharing and frugal innovation. Moreover, the influences of tacit and explicit knowledge sharing on frugal innovation capability are enhanced in the intensive competitive environments.

Future research should investigate the potential moderating role of perceived organizational support in the relationship between specific aspects of knowledge sharing behaviors and frugal innovation.

The paper provides a valuable understanding and novel approach for managers and directors of firms in developing and emerging countries to improve frugal innovation capability through inclusive leadership practices and promotion of knowledge sharing in organizations.

The paper is unique in its attempt to fill theoretical gaps on the relationship between inclusive leadership and frugal innovation, and advance the insights of how inclusive leadership directly and indirectly fosters frugal innovation via mediating roles of tacit and explicit knowledge sharing.

The aim of this paper is to highlight the impact of distributed leadership (DL) on exploitative and exploratory innovations through the mediating effects of organizational trust (OT) and tacit and explicit knowledge sharing (KS).

Focusing on a quantitative approach, an empirical study was performed within a sample of information and communication technology Tunisian firms. The data collected was analyzed through the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method.

Findings revealed that DL is a driver of tacit and explicit KS, and exploitative and exploratory innovations. It also highlighted that tacit KS is associated with these two types of innovation. In this line, results showed that tacit KS plays a mediating effect between DL and exploitative and exploratory innovations. Moreover, our research highlighted that DL has a positive impact on OT that in turn boosts tacit and explicit KS.

This paper investigates the links between DL and exploitative and exploratory innovations within knowledge intensive firms (KIFs) that have never been studied in the literature within the context of business firms. This paper pioneers the examination of the mediating roles of explicit and tacit KS and OT in these links as well. This paper highlights the importance of DL for KIFs and sheds the light on how this collectivist approach of leadership creates an atmosphere of trust and fosters tacit and explicit KS to boost exploitative and exploratory innovations.

This article aims to explore the connections between tacit knowledge management and the capacity to create new products and services for stimulating organizational performance.

This research utilizes a questionnaire-based study and 378 questionnaires gathered from different provinces of China between August and October 2022. The SmartPLS technique was used to evaluate the regression and mediation analysis on lower-order and higher-order components of the research hypotheses behind the model.

This investigation's results indicate that the tacit knowledge management process (TKMP) significantly drives product and service innovation and impacts organizational performance (ORP). According to the results, TKMP did not directly influence ORP and product innovation to mediate between Tacit knowledge and organizational performance.

Future research should concentrate on different combinations of influences on innovation and other consequences of introducing innovation into businesses. Moreover, researchers may add moderators to innovation and organizational performance.

This study assists managers in how tacit knowledge management affects organisational performance by examining product/service innovation capabilities. Product innovation also mediates between tacit knowledge and organizational performance. Service innovation improves organizational performance, prioritizing knowledge creation, sharing and retention to increase innovation and organizational success.

This study contributes to the literature on tacit knowledge management, innovation capability and organizational performance by concentrating on the tacit knowledge process and using the resource-based view. This study gives a solid theoretical and practical basis for understanding the component interactions.

Remote working has brought forward many challenges for employees as the phenomenon is still new for most employees across the globe. Some of these challenges may be addressed by the recent adoption of digital technologies by organizations. In this vein, our study explores the impact of digital platform capability on the creativity of employees through the mediating mechanism of explicit and tacit knowledge sharing.

The data were gathered from higher education institutes (HEIs) in a developing country, Pakistan which recently saw a major disruption during the Covid-19 pandemic. The proposed hypotheses were tested through Structural Equational Modeling (SEM) and the results confirmed our hypotheses.

The findings confirmed that the digital platform capabilities impact both tacit and explicit knowledge sharing among these remote employees. Likewise, the results also supported the mediating role of both explicit and tacit knowledge sharing on the creativity of these remote workers.

Our results are significant as they confirm the impact of digitalization on remote workers’ creativity predisposition. We thus advance the academic debate on the problems of knowledge sharing in remote working. We prove that digital capabilities outweigh the challenges created due to new forms of work driven by the pandemic. It further highlights the important areas to focus on while planning human resource policies in the new normal.

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the research of knowledge management in higher education institutions (HEIs) by studying the enablers of knowledge entrepreneurship. Anchored in the dynamic capability theory, knowledge entrepreneurship is heterogeneously distributed in HEIs and is critical for the sustenance of organizations in the knowledge economy. This aim is realized by understanding the determinants of knowledge entrepreneurship and empirically investigating the relationship of knowledge-sharing behaviour and entrepreneurial leadership with knowledge entrepreneurship.

Data was collected through structured questionnaires from 550 faculty members of HEIs in Pakistan by adequately representing the sample size through regional stratification and proportionate sampling. Data was analyzed through the Analysis of Moment Structures software where the data validation and reliability were achieved using correlations, confirmatory factor analysis and structured equation modelling to generate generalizable results.

The findings revealed that knowledge sharing is an important component in developing knowledge entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurial leadership is pivotal in providing the support, vision and autonomy to individuals with personal and professional capabilities to ensure the creation of new knowledge, collaboration and innovation.

The study contributes to an understanding of relationship of knowledge sharing and entrepreneurial leadership that leads to promotion of knowledge entrepreneurship in HEIs of Pakistan. In addition, the findings of the study extend the existing literature on knowledge entrepreneurship by offering the positive mediating role of entrepreneurial leadership in the universities of Pakistan, hence, addressing the specific challenges and opportunities faced by the HEIs of a developing country like Pakistan. The theoretical framework of the study elucidates the importance of knowledge sharing and entrepreneurial leadership by using the dynamic capabilities theory and extends the scope of the aforementioned theory in entrepreneurial leadership realm.

By generating an understanding of the dynamics of knowledge entrepreneurship this study tries to help policymakers and educational leaders to develop strategies to cultivate a culture of knowledge sharing and entrepreneurial leadership in Pakistani HEIs. Building the entrepreneurial ecosystem entails prioritizing knowledge creation, knowledge sharing and retention that can lead to innovative solutions for local and global challenges.

The study used dynamic capabilities theory to link the knowledge and resources together for the education sector for sustainable outcomes in the knowledge economy. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to empirically study the behaviour of HEIs to create and support knowledge entrepreneurship in the presence of entrepreneurial leadership in the context of a developing country, Pakistan. Becoming a knowledge-based society will help Pakistan upgrade itself to the list of developed countries.