IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i17p7823-d1738245.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

How Does Digital Knowledge Management Drive Employees’ Innovative Behavior?

Author

Listed:
  • Shuli Gao

    (Business College, Beijing Union University, Beijing 100025, China)

  • Jianbin Chen

    (Management College, Beijing Union University, Beijing 100101, China)

  • Pengfei Jiang

    (Management College, Beijing Union University, Beijing 100101, China)

Abstract

With AI and other technologies widely applied, knowledge management paradigms are being systemically reconstructed. How to effectively leverage digital technologies to manage knowledge and activate employees’ innovative behaviors has become key for enterprises’ sustainable development. This article explores the influence pathways of digital knowledge management on employees’ innovative behavior, conducting cross-level transmission mechanism research based on digital knowledge management, organizational learning, and employee innovation behavior. Drawing on 325 questionnaires and hierarchical regression, this study finds that: digital knowledge management positively effects employees’ innovative behavior; exploitative learning mediates more strongly than exploratory learning between digital knowledge management and employees’ innovative behavior; challenging technostress weakens the link between organizational learning and innovation. This paper also uses fsQCA analysis to identify three pathways to high employee innovation behavior: exploration-driven innovation based on full knowledge chain collaboration, dual-driven innovation oriented towards knowledge transformation, and dual-driven innovation oriented towards knowledge sharing. The conclusions of this study are intended to promote the application and development of digital knowledge management in enterprises and provide practical insights for enterprises to foster employee innovation and achieve sustainable development.

Suggested Citation

  • Shuli Gao & Jianbin Chen & Pengfei Jiang, 2025. "How Does Digital Knowledge Management Drive Employees’ Innovative Behavior?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-25, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:17:p:7823-:d:1738245
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/17/7823/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/17/7823/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Xiaomei He & Thierry Burger-Helmchen, 2025. "Evolving Knowledge Management: Artificial Intelligence and the Dynamics of Social Interactions," Post-Print hal-04990216, HAL.
    2. Yavuz Ağan & Mehmet Fatih Acar & Eren Erdogan, 2018. "Knowledge management, supplier integration, and new product development," Knowledge Management Research & Practice, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(1), pages 105-117, January.
    3. Azeem, Muhammad & Ahmed, Munir & Haider, Sajid & Sajjad, Muhammad, 2021. "Expanding competitive advantage through organizational culture, knowledge sharing and organizational innovation," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Hayford Asare Obeng & Richard Arhinful & Leviticus Mensah & Jerry Seth Owusu-Sarfo, 2024. "Assessing the Influence of the Knowledge Management Cycle on Job Satisfaction and Organizational Culture Considering the Interplay of Employee Engagement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-28, October.
    2. Yin Hang & Yuhan Zhang, 2024. "RETRACTED ARTICLE: The Inheritance Imperative: A Game-Theoretic Analysis of Reverse Tacit Knowledge Transfer," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(4), pages 18884-18929, December.
    3. Chih-Hsiung Chang & Yang-Ching Yen, 2019. "An Empirical Investigation of Knowledge Management Strategy and Information Technology Strategy on Performance," Asian Social Science, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 15(5), pages 1-44, May.
    4. Marion Neukam & Emmanuel Muller & Thierry Burger-Helmchen, 2025. "Mapping Theoretical Perspectives for Requisite Resilience," Post-Print hal-05296104, HAL.
    5. Yunqing Liu & Ziqi Guo & Qianwen He, 2025. "Configuring Technological Innovation and Resource Synergies for Performance in New Energy Vehicle Enterprises: A Path Analysis Using Empirical and Comparative Methods," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-21, June.
    6. Muhammad Imran & Jizu Li & Sher Bano & Waqas Rashid, 2025. "Impact of Democratic Leadership on Employee Innovative Behavior with Mediating Role of Psychological Safety and Creative Potential," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-22, February.
    7. Suo, Xuekun & Zhang, Longting & Guo, Rong & Lin, Han & Yu, Mingchuan & Du, Xiuhong, 2024. "The inverted U-shaped association between digital economy and corporate total factor productivity: A knowledge-based perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    8. Syed Jamal Abdul Nasir Syed Mohamad & Nor Shahrul Nizam Muhamad Nor & Amily Fikry & Muhammad Ridzuan Abdul Aziz, 2023. "The Effect of Organizational Innovation Mediates between Knowledge Management Capabilities and Hotel Performance: A Conceptual Analysis," Information Management and Business Review, AMH International, vol. 15(3), pages 510-524.
    9. repec:zib:zbmbmj:v:1:y:2022:i:2:p:53-58 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Carmen Elena Stoenoiu & Lorentz Jäntschi, 2024. "Sustainable Development of the Economy—A Case Study of the Impacts of the Size of Enterprises and Factors Affecting Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-38, June.
    11. Ebrahim A. A. Ghaleb & P. D. D. Dominic & Narinderjit Singh Sawaran Singh & Gehad Mohammed Ahmed Naji, 2023. "Assessing the Big Data Adoption Readiness Role in Healthcare between Technology Impact Factors and Intention to Adopt Big Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-25, July.
    12. Jianhua Zhang & Farrah Nayab Jehangir & Lan Yang & Muhammad Abubakar Tahir & Shanza Tabasum, 2025. "Competitive Advantage and Firm Performance: The Role of Organizational Culture, Organizational Innovation, and Knowledge Sharing," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 16(1), pages 3081-3107, March.
    13. Beibei Zhang & Ximing Yin & Peiqi Wu, 2025. "The Impact of Knowledge Sharing on Technology Innovation in the Strategic Industry: An Empirical Study from the Knowledge-Based View," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 16(3), pages 13559-13588, September.
    14. Chen-I Huang & Yung-Fu Huang & Manh-Hoang Do & Thi-Lien-Huong Nguyen, 2023. "Sustainable Competitive Advantage for Multi-Unit Franchising: From the Taiwanese Franchise Market Perspectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-17, October.
    15. Mingyang Nan & Longyang Huang, 2025. "Innovation Ecosystems: A Cross-Industry Examination of Knowledge Flows and Collaboration Dynamics," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 16(1), pages 26-64, March.
    16. Shai Fernández & Ulf Bodin & Kåre Synnes, 2025. "On the Interplay Between Behavior Dynamics, Environmental Impacts, and Fairness in the Digitalized Circular Economy with Associated Business Models and Supply Chain Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-39, April.
    17. Li, Xue & Seah, Rachel Yan Ting & Yuen, Kum Fai, 2025. "Mental wellbeing in digital workplaces: The role of digital resources, technostress, and burnout," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    18. Shaoqin Han & Huifei Xun & Baoguo Xie & Man Zeng & Dhandevi Maharjan, 2025. "Why and when entrepreneurs with calling perform better? The effects of calling and money motivation on entrepreneurial performance," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-8, December.
    19. Mai-Lun Chiu & Tsung-Sheng Cheng & Chun-Nan Lin, 2024. "Driving Open Innovation Capability Through New Knowledge Diffusion of Integrating Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations in Organizations: Moderator of Individual Absorptive Capacity," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(1), pages 3685-3717, March.
    20. Kristina Astike & Viktorija Skvarciany, 2024. "Measuring the Level of Performance of Country’s Cultural Economics: The Case of EU11," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 26(65), pages 312-312, February.
    21. Chen, Tai-Yueh & Chang, Wei-Chen & Hsieh, Kuo-Jung & Chang, Ching-Ter, 2022. "Advancing Taiwan's traditional craft products: A modular product design model of manufacturing technologies," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:17:y:2025:i:17:p:7823-:d:1738245. 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.