How knowledge sharing leads to innovative work behaviour: A moderating role of transformational leadership

PurposeStudies have examined the influence of knowledge-sharing factors on attitudes and intentions to share knowledge; thus, there is a need to add to the limited research to examine individuals’ actual knowledge-sharing behaviour (KSB). Drawing upon the social cognitive theory (SCT) and transformational leadership, this study aims to develop a new research model which modifies the standard SCT model and augments it with other theories to examine academics’ KSBs.Design/methodology/approachQuestionnaire surveys based on literature and pilot study were conducted with 785 academic staff from four Vietnamese public universities. This study applied structural equation modelling to test the proposed research model and hypotheses.FindingsThe findings show that environmental factors (subjective norms, trust) and personal factors (knowledge self-efficacy, enjoyment in helping others) had positive impacts on KSB; KSB had a strongly positive effect on innovative behaviour; and transformational leadership positively moderated the effects of subjective norms, trust and knowledge self-efficacy on KSB. Interestingly, psychological ownership of knowledge was found to have insignificant associations with KSB.Practical implicationsThe study findings can be used by university leaders, academic staff and researchers in other similar contexts.Originality/valueUntil now, to the best of the researchers’ knowledge, no studies have applied SCT as a primary lens, in which transformational leadership positioned in a focal behaviour also affected KSB, to investigate research on KSB in organisations, especially in institutions of higher education.