How academic leaders facilitate knowledge sharing: a case of universities in Hong Kong

Can artificial intelligence’s limitations drive innovative work behaviour?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is deemed to increase workers’ productivity by enhancing their creative abilities and acting as a general-purpose tool for innovation. While much is known about AI’s ability to create value through innovation, less is known about how AI’s limitations drive innovative work behaviour (IWB). With AI’s limits in perspective, innovative work behaviour might serve as workarounds to compensate for AI limitations. Therefore, the guiding research question is: How will AI limitations, rather than its apparent transformational strengths, drive workers’ innovative work behaviour in a workplace? A search protocol was employed to identify 65 articles based on relevant keywords and article selection criteria using the Scopus database. The thematic analysis suggests several themes: (i) Robots make mistakes, and such mistakes stimulate workers’ IWB, (ii) AI triggers ‘fear’ in workers, and this ‘fear’ stimulates workers’ IWB, (iii) Workers are reskilled and upskilled to compensate for AI limitations, (iv) AI interface stimulates worker engagement, (v) Algorithmic bias requires IWB, and (vi) AI works as a general-purpose tool for IWB. In contrast to prior reviews, which generally focus on the apparent transformational strengths of AI in the workplace, this review primarily identifies AI limitations before suggesting that the limitations could also drive innovative work behaviour. Propositions are included after each theme to encourage future research.

Can artificial intelligence’s limitations drive innovative work behaviour?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is deemed to increase workers’ productivity by enhancing their creative abilities and acting as a general-purpose tool for innovation. While much is known about AI’s ability to create value through innovation, less is known about how AI’s limitations drive innovative work behaviour (IWB). With AI’s limits in perspective, innovative work behaviour might serve as workarounds to compensate for AI limitations. Therefore, the guiding research question is: How will AI limitations, rather than its apparent transformational strengths, drive workers’ innovative work behaviour in a workplace? A search protocol was employed to identify 65 articles based on relevant keywords and article selection criteria using the Scopus database. The thematic analysis suggests several themes: (i) Robots make mistakes, and such mistakes stimulate workers’ IWB, (ii) AI triggers ‘fear’ in workers, and this ‘fear’ stimulates workers’ IWB, (iii) Workers are reskilled and upskilled to compensate for AI limitations, (iv) AI interface stimulates worker engagement, (v) Algorithmic bias requires IWB, and (vi) AI works as a general-purpose tool for IWB. In contrast to prior reviews, which generally focus on the apparent transformational strengths of AI in the workplace, this review primarily identifies AI limitations before suggesting that the limitations could also drive innovative work behaviour. Propositions are included after each theme to encourage future research.

The Knowledge Sharing Capability in Innovative Behavior: A SEM Approach from Graduate Students' Insights

The capability to share knowledge is considered one of the most relevant components of knowledge management. Moreover, there is little empirical evidence indicating how future human resources in the construction industry value the richness of knowledge sharing and the richness of their innovative behavior. The purposes of this study are (1) to determine which facilitators, from the point of view of master's degree students related to engineering and construction management in Spain, most substantially influence knowledge sharing capability; (2) to test whether knowledge sharing capability (KS) positively influences innovative behavior (IB); and (3) demonstrating whether organizational innovation climate (OIC) is a factor that moderates the relationship between KS and IB. In this research, we have proposed a theoretical model and empirically tested the model in a sample of 253 master's degree students in public universities in Spain. The findings support the proposed model, and the structural equation modeling (SEM) evaluation suggests that, among all the facilitators of KS, information and communication technologies (ICT) stand out among the other facilitators and have a more significant influence on KS. Furthermore, the research found a direct correlation between KS and IB and causal links between OIC and IB.

The impacts of knowledge-oriented leadership on employees' knowledge management behaviors in Chinese based organizations: a qualitative study

Purpose

This study aims to minimize the research gap by finding out what are the current state of knowledge management (KM) in the Chinese private science and technology organizations, the essential factors for promoting KM behaviors and the role of knowledge-oriented leadership in determining employees’ KM behaviors. Specifically, this research attempts to create a theoretical framework, which can be used to facilitate KM implementation in general, in the Chinese context in particular.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews with executives, senior managers and specialists were used to capture interviewees’ responses to the research question. The responses were analyzed with Nvivo to detect the obstacles of KM behaviors within Chinese private science and technology organizations.

Findings

This study highlights that poor KM behaviors are caused by knowledge-oriented leaders’ weak awareness of the KM values, and also these leaders are not equipped with the necessary knowledge-oriented leadership skills. As a result, there is a lack of knowledge sharing and knowledge inheritance. To respond to the identified KM related issues, while maximizing the KM values, some effective countermeasures focusing on the strategic, managerial as well as operational levels are proposed.

Practical implications

There is a need for knowledge-oriented leaders to recognize the growing significance of KM practices, and to increase the level of awareness of KM values. To achieve such ambition, they need to build a corporate knowledge culture, which promotes knowledge development, application, preservation, sharing and inheritance.

Originality/value

This study contributes to deepening the understandings of the linkage between knowledge-oriented leadership and KM behaviors, which is of great significance to promote the soft power of KM on employees’ attitudes and behaviors.

Effects of organizational culture, affective commitment and trust on knowledge-sharing tendency

Purpose

Prevailing corporate culture coupled with affective trust in co-workers and affective organizational commitment may promote or hinder the tendency for people to share knowledge. This study aims to determine whether knowledge-sharing tendency varies from one form of organizational culture to another by examining the concurrent mediation of affective trust in co-workers and affective organizational commitment and provide insights for appropriate knowledge-sharing initiatives.

Design/methodology/approach

Adult learners (N = 408) enrolled in the MBA and MSc postgraduate programs at five private universities in Singapore participated in a two-part self-administered anonymous survey. Data were analyzed with SmartPLS partial-least squares structural equation modeling using a two-stage analytical technique that examined the measurement and structural models.

Findings

The concurrent effects of affective trust in co-workers and affective organizational commitment complementarily mediated the relationship of organizational culture on the knowledge-sharing tendency for adhocracy, clan and market cultures but fully mediated for hierarchy culture.

Practical implications

This study provides insights for managers to understand the characteristics of their organizational culture and choose appropriate practices for improving knowledge-sharing tendency among its employees.

Originality/value

A model is established to determine the type of organizational culture that facilitates knowledge-sharing tendency. It offers new theoretical insights into how and why affective trust in co-workers and affective organizational commitment impact the relationship of organizational culture on knowledge-sharing tendency. Understanding these relationships can provide valuable insights into various strategies for different organizational cultures to increase employees’ knowledge-sharing tendency.

How Do Different Types of University Academics Perceive Work from Home Amidst COVID-19 and Beyond?

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a massive and unintentional shift to work from home (WFH) or working remotely, as well as broad adoption of web-based platforms. The goal of this research is to uncover the attitudes to WFH among different types of academics in the Sri Lankan higher education sector. An online questionnaire survey was conducted amidst a severe COVID-19 wave during June–September 2021, and 337 valid responses were received. The questionnaire contained 49 questions under four sections excluding demographic questions. The gathered data were analysed using multiple regression models. Results of the study ascertained a significant (p < 0.01) positive attitude among academics towards online teaching (academic orientation), other than academics who from disciplines with more practical components, and there was a significant (p < 0.01) positive attitude among academics to conducting research (research orientation) while WFH. Further, the findings indicate a significant (p < 0.01) negative attitude to WFH when disseminating knowledge and engaging in community services with various stakeholders. When considering the criticality of demographics variables in the new normal, a hybrid working model can be introduced by reaping the benefits of WFH based on different types of academic orientations and their favourability towards the WFH model, rather than reverting to a full physical academic working environment. As a developing country, Sri Lanka can formulate policies on effective hybrid working models for academics to realise the potential from the lessons learned. This experience will enable the country to accomplish or move towards accomplishing the fourth goal of SDGs, quality education by 2030.

Top management support and knowledge sharing: the strategic role of affiliation and trust in academic environment

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.