The relationship between individual organizational and interpersonal factors and tacit knowledge sharing with usage the mediator

The main focus of this study is twofold. Firstly, the thesis attempts to examine the direct relationship between individual (individual attitude, organizational commitment, and knowledge self-efficacy), organizational (organizational climate, management support, reward system and organizational structure), and interpersonal (interpersonal trust and social network) factors, and tacit knowledge sharing. Secondly, it is to examine the mediating effect of information and communication technology (ICT) usage on the relationship between individual, organizational and interpersonal factors, and tacit knowledge sharing. A total of 400 questionnaires were distributed to the technical staff of ICT sector in Jordan. Out of 400, only 375 questionnaires were returned. However, only 365 were usable for further analysis, representing a response rate of 92.75%. Hypotheses for direct relationships were tested using multiple regression, while the mediating effect were tested using the Preacher and Hayes analyses. Results indicated that individual attitude, knowledge self-efficacy, organizational climate, organizational structure, management support and interpersonal trust were significantly related to tacit knowledge sharing. However, the mediating analysis showed that ICT usage only partially mediated the relationship between knowledge self-efficacy, organizational climate, organizational structure and interpersonal trust, and tacit knowledge sharing. The current research have several implications. Knowledge wise, it provides understanding on the factors that affects tacit knowledge sharing. Practise wise, it suggests to managers that they should focus on providing the right management support, organizational structure and climate for sharing tacit knowledge. In addition, any practices that could promote organizational commitment, knowledge self-efficacy and interpersonal trust should also be implemented. The use of ICT should also be enforced so as to facilitate tacit knowledge sharing. Besides that, suggestions were also made for further research to be conducted the exploration of the variables tested in this study on other settings, and with different sample frames, in order to achieve a more robust finding towards a better understanding of the role of individual, interpersonal and organizational factors on tacit knowledge sharin

The effect of Twitter as a social blog on corporate reputation management in the telecommunication industry in Zimbabwe.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.The aim of the study was to determine how Twitter can be used as a social blog to improve the corporate reputation of organisations operating in Zimbabwe’s telecommunications industry. This was undertaken guided by the broader objective of developing insights on how the telecommunications industry is responding to shifts from traditional to contemporary approaches in corporate reputation being driven by social blogs. Analysis was made of the views of the internal stakeholders namely employees, operational and top-level managers, who are pivotal in the engagement of stakeholders including customers online. In that regard, the study tested the main relationship (H1), which was to understand whether Twitter has a direct influence on the corporate reputation of telecommunication companies operating in Zimbabwe. Since the study positions Twitter between the traditional corporate reputation guides (top-level managers, operation managers, general employees, and customers) and the contemporary methods (boundary theory, social cognitive, social blogs and social exchange), these became the intermediate variables (H2) for the research. The fact that Twitter is not the only social blog in the landscape resulted in comparison with other equal alternative types (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube) to assess their effect on corporate reputation against that of Twitter (H3). The study, therefore, confirmed the relationships and proposed a framework that guides contemporary approaches towards the management of corporate reputation in the telecommunications industry. For this reason, the study gave back new knowledge to the research community and practical frameworks on how to manage reputation in contemporary times, wherein social blogs are central in the shaping of reputations. A mixed-method approach was therefore employed in the study, where both quantitative and qualitative research designs were drawn upon in the data collection and analysis. A stratified random sampling process was employed in selecting respondents from whom to elicit the quantitative data, and purposive judgmental sampling was used to select participants from whom to obtain the qualitative data. A total of 369 survey questionnaires were distributed to the targeted sample with a response rate of 90%, as 332 employees in the telecommunications industry returned completed questionnaires. Eighteen (18) interviews were conducted, with key interview informants in Zimbabwe’s telecommunications industry, thereby allowing for triangulation of the data obtained from the quantitative survey with the insights from the qualitative interviews. The results show that social blogs, specifically Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, have a direct impact on the management of positive corporate reputation in the telecommunications industry as they contribute to the social capital of the organisation leading to the contemporary management of reputation. A framework on the effect of social blog platforms on positive corporate reputation management in Zimbabwe’s telecommunications industry was developed