[go: up one dir, main page]
IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i8p4531-d791047.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Creating Sustainable Organizations through Knowledge Sharing and Organizational Agility: Empirical Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Rob Kim Marjerison

    (Global Business, College of Business and Public Management, Wenzhou-Kean University, Wenzhou 325060, China)

  • Matthew Andrews

    (International Business, International School of Management, 17 Boulevard Raspail, 75007 Paris, France)

  • George Kuan

    (International Business, International School of Management, 17 Boulevard Raspail, 75007 Paris, France)

Abstract
This study explores the relationships among knowledge sharing, adaptability, and performance, and furthermore seeks to address a gap in the existing literature on how those relationships may vary between organizational sectors. Economic sustainability for firms of all sizes and sectors is likely to depend to a large extent on the creation of a sustainable organizational culture built on collaboration, innovation, and adaptability. The importance of knowledge management in developing sustainable and higher functioning organizations is well accepted in the literature. Likewise, the ability of organizations to realize competitive advantage by adapting and responding in a timely manner to changes in the landscape is well supported. Building on previous research, this study further examines how organizations in different sectors may experience that interaction differently. Based on data gathered through 720 online surveys and subjected to empirical analysis, the findings suggest that work groups that are more agile can more readily realize the benefits of a knowledge sharing organization culture. Further, in contrast to the main body of existing literature, the findings indicate that there is little difference in these benefits among organizations operating in different sectors, notably, within the context of mainland China. These findings may be of interest to those with an interest in knowledge sharing, organizational agility, organizational behavior, sustainable organizations, collectivistic cultures, to practitioners with an interest in developing higher functioning organizations, and to social scientists in related research areas such as cultural studies and psychology.

Suggested Citation

  • Rob Kim Marjerison & Matthew Andrews & George Kuan, 2022. "Creating Sustainable Organizations through Knowledge Sharing and Organizational Agility: Empirical Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-23, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:8:p:4531-:d:791047
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/8/4531/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/8/4531/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alvaro Lleo & Miquel Bastons & Carlos Rey & Fernando Ruiz-Perez, 2021. "Purpose Implementation: Conceptualization and Measurement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-19, February.
    2. Zainuddin Notanubun, 2021. "The Effect of Organizational Citizenship Behavior and Leadership Effectiveness on Public Sectors Organizational Performance: Study in the Department of Education, Youth and Sports in Maluku Province, ," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 1-18, March.
    3. Amy C. Edmondson, 2002. "The Local and Variegated Nature of Learning in Organizations: A Group-Level Perspective," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(2), pages 128-146, April.
    4. Aasha Kapur Mehta & Shashanka Bhide & Anand Kumar & Amita Shah (ed.), 2018. "Poverty, Chronic Poverty and Poverty Dynamics," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-981-13-0677-8, December.
    5. Hazen, Benjamin T. & Bradley, Randy V. & Bell, John E. & In, Joonhwan & Byrd, Terry A., 2017. "Enterprise architecture: A competence-based approach to achieving agility and firm performance," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 193(C), pages 566-577.
    6. Goerner, Sally J. & Lietaer, Bernard & Ulanowicz, Robert E., 2009. "Quantifying economic sustainability: Implications for free-enterprise theory, policy and practice," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(1), pages 76-81, November.
    7. Ilaria Cascavilla & Davide Hahn & Tommaso Minola, 2022. "How You Teach Matters! An Exploratory Study on the Relationship between Teaching Models and Learning Outcomes in Entrepreneurship Education," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-22, January.
    8. Ikujiro Nonaka, 1994. "A Dynamic Theory of Organizational Knowledge Creation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 5(1), pages 14-37, February.
    9. Gabriel Zucman, 2019. "Global Wealth Inequality," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 11(1), pages 109-138, August.
    10. Anna-Theresa Walter, 2021. "Organizational agility: ill-defined and somewhat confusing? A systematic literature review and conceptualization," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 71(2), pages 343-391, April.
    11. Papadopoulos, Thanos & Stamati, Teta & Nopparuch, Pawit, 2013. "Exploring the determinants of knowledge sharing via employee weblogs," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 133-146.
    12. Howell, Kerry E. & Annansingh, Fenio, 2013. "Knowledge generation and sharing in UK universities: A tale of two cultures?," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 32-39.
    13. Tom Kuhlman & John Farrington, 2010. "What is Sustainability?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 2(11), pages 1-13, November.
    14. Lee, Dong-Joo & Ahn, Jae-Hyeon, 2007. "Reward systems for intra-organizational knowledge sharing," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 180(2), pages 938-956, July.
    15. Hanan Alhaddi, 2015. "Triple Bottom Line and Sustainability: A Literature Review," Business and Management Studies, Redfame publishing, vol. 1(2), pages 6-10, September.
    16. Huatao Peng & Chen Zhou & Yang Liu, 2020. "Entrepreneurial Experience and Performance: From the Aspect of Sustainable Growth of Enterprises," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-24, September.
    17. Dorota Grego-Planer, 2019. "The Relationship between Organizational Commitment and Organizational Citizenship Behaviors in the Public and Private Sectors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-20, November.
    18. Nasreen Zehra, 2016. "Training & Development Barometer for Effective Transformation of Organizational Commitment and Overall Performance in Banking Sectors of KPK, Pakistan: Qualitative study of Workforce of Bank of Khyber," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 6(6), pages 246-267, June.
    19. Linda Argote & Ella Miron-Spektor, 2011. "Organizational Learning: From Experience to Knowledge," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(5), pages 1123-1137, October.
    20. Alessandra Colombelli & Shiva Loccisano & Andrea Panelli & Orazio Antonino Maria Pennisi & Francesco Serraino, 2022. "Entrepreneurship Education: The Effects of Challenge-Based Learning on the Entrepreneurial Mindset of University Students," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-12, January.
    21. Klaassen, Ger A. J. & Opschoor, Johannes B., 1991. "Economics of sustainability or the sustainability of economics: Different paradigms," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 4(2), pages 93-115, November.
    22. Andrea Gatto & Elkhan Richard Sadik-Zada, 2021. "Revisiting the East Asian Financial Crises: Lessons from Ethics and Development Patterns," Springer Books, in: Muhammad Shahbaz & Alaa Soliman & Subhan Ullah (ed.), Economic Growth and Financial Development, pages 23-31, Springer.
    23. Animesh Agrawal & Suraj Kumar Mukti, 2020. "Knowledge Management & It's Origin, Success Factors, Planning, Tools, Applications, Barriers and Enablers: A Review," International Journal of Knowledge Management (IJKM), IGI Global, vol. 16(1), pages 43-82, January.
    24. Martin Hoegl & Hans Georg Gemuenden, 2001. "Teamwork Quality and the Success of Innovative Projects: A Theoretical Concept and Empirical Evidence," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 12(4), pages 435-449, August.
    25. Morten T. Hansen, 2002. "Knowledge Networks: Explaining Effective Knowledge Sharing in Multiunit Companies," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(3), pages 232-248, June.
    26. Dilek Cetindamar & Mile Katic & Steve Burdon & Ayse Gunsel, 2021. "The Interplay among Organisational Learning Culture, Agility, Growth, and Big Data Capabilities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-20, November.
    27. Sanna Joensuu-Salo & Anmari Viljamaa & Elina Varamäki, 2022. "Sustainable Entrepreneurs of the Future: The Interplay between Educational Context, Sustainable Entrepreneurship Competence, and Entrepreneurial Intentions," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-15, February.
    28. Sharifi, H. & Zhang, Z., 1999. "A methodology for achieving agility in manufacturing organisations: An introduction," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(1-2), pages 7-22, May.
    29. Michael Cook & Peter Barry, 2004. "Organizational Economics in the Food, Agribusiness, and Agricultural Sectors," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 86(3), pages 740-743.
    30. Argote, Linda & Ingram, Paul & Levine, John M. & Moreland, Richard L., 2000. "Knowledge Transfer in Organizations: Learning from the Experience of Others," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 82(1), pages 1-8, May.
    31. Lin, Ching-Torng & Chiu, Hero & Tseng, Yi-Hong, 2006. "Agility evaluation using fuzzy logic," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(2), pages 353-368, June.
    32. T. C. Tso, 2004. "Agriculture of the future," Nature, Nature, vol. 428(6979), pages 215-217, March.
    33. Rob Kim Marjerison & Chungil Chae & Shitong Li, 2021. "Investor Activity in Chinese Financial Institutions: A Precursor to Economic Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-17, November.
    34. Chung-An Chen & Barry Bozeman, 2012. "Organizational Risk Aversion: Comparing The Public and Non-Profit Sectors," Public Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(3), pages 377-402, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Elkhan Richard Sadik-Zada & Andrea Gatto, 2023. "Grow First, Clean Up Later ? Dropping Old Paradigms and Opening Up New Horizons of Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-6, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sarmann I. Kennedyd & Rob Kim Marjerison & Yuequn Yu & Qian Zi & Xinyi Tang & Ze Yang, 2022. "E-Commerce Engagement: A Prerequisite for Economic Sustainability—An Empirical Examination of Influencing Factors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-24, April.
    2. Yildiz, H. Emre & Murtic, Adis & Zander, Udo, 2024. "Re-conceptualizing absorptive capacity: The importance of teams as a meso-level context," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    3. Pattravadee Ploykitikoon & Charles M. Weber, 2019. "Knowledge Pathways and Performance: An Empirical Study of the National Laboratories in a Technology Latecomer Country," International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 16(03), pages 1-37, May.
    4. Ciampi, Francesco & Faraoni, Monica & Ballerini, Jacopo & Meli, Francesco, 2022. "The co-evolutionary relationship between digitalization and organizational agility: Ongoing debates, theoretical developments and future research perspectives," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    5. Anna-Theresa Walter, 2021. "Organizational agility: ill-defined and somewhat confusing? A systematic literature review and conceptualization," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 71(2), pages 343-391, April.
    6. Said Shabban Abdo & David Edgar & Gamal Kamel, 2021. "Moderating Effects of Transforming High-Potential Local Employees for Reverse Adaptation, through the Lens of Absorptive Capacity: The Case of Hi Tech in Egypt," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 15(6), pages 171-171, July.
    7. Jyoti Verma & Anamika Sinha, 2016. "Knowledge Sharing in Cross-Functional Teams and its Antecedents: Role of Mutual Trust as a Moderator," Journal of Information & Knowledge Management (JIKM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 15(03), pages 1-22, September.
    8. Schilling, Melissa A. & Green, Elad, 2011. "Recombinant search and breakthrough idea generation: An analysis of high impact papers in the social sciences," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(10), pages 1321-1331.
    9. Diwas Singh KC & Bradley R. Staats, 2012. "Accumulating a Portfolio of Experience: The Effect of Focal and Related Experience on Surgeon Performance," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 14(4), pages 618-633, October.
    10. Harpreet Singh & David Kryscynski & Xinxin Li & Ram Gopal, 2016. "Pipes, pools, and filters: How collaboration networks affect innovative performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(8), pages 1649-1666, August.
    11. Daniel Tzabbar & Alex Vestal, 2015. "Bridging the Social Chasm in Geographically Distributed R&D Teams: The Moderating Effects of Relational Strength and Status Asymmetry on the Novelty of Team Innovation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 26(3), pages 811-829, June.
    12. Li, Shenxue & Clark, Timothy & Sillince, John, 2018. "Constructing a strategy on the creation of core competencies for African companies," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 204-213.
    13. Dhir, Amandeep & Khan, Sher Jahan & Islam, Nazrul & Ractham, Peter & Meenakshi, N., 2023. "Drivers of sustainable business model innovations. An upper echelon theory perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    14. Wiweko Probojakti & Hamidah Nayati Utami & Arik Prasetya & Muhammad Faisal Riza, 2024. "Building Sustainable Competitive Advantage in Banking through Organizational Agility," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-15, September.
    15. Bauer, Florian & King, David & Matzler, Kurt, 2016. "Speed of acquisition integration: Separating the role of human and task integration," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 150-165.
    16. Pattarin Sanguankaew & Vichita Vathanophas Ractham, 2019. "Bibliometric Review of Research on Knowledge Management and Sustainability, 1994–2018," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(16), pages 1-20, August.
    17. Li, Xiaoqing & Roberts, Joanne & Yan, Yanni & Tan, Hui, 2014. "Knowledge sharing in China–UK higher education alliances," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(2), pages 343-355.
    18. Linda Argote & Sunkee Lee & Jisoo Park, 2021. "Organizational Learning Processes and Outcomes: Major Findings and Future Research Directions," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(9), pages 5399-5429, September.
    19. Stefan Wagner & Karin Hoisl & Grid Thoma, 2014. "Overcoming localization of knowledge — the role of professional service firms," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(11), pages 1671-1688, November.
    20. Tippmann, Esther & Sharkey Scott, Pamela & Mangematin, Vincent, 2014. "Subsidiary managers’ knowledge mobilizations: Unpacking emergent knowledge flows," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 49(3), pages 431-443.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:8:p:4531-:d:791047. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.