The Roles Of Organizational Learning And Explicit Knowledge Sharing In The Relationship Between Tacit Knowledge Sharing And Organizational Innovation Capability From A Public Sector Perspective

Knowledge is a valuable resource with innovation potentials, yet studies have not fully presented how the tacit knowledge sharing affects the innovation capability of an organization, public organizations in particular. Due to this limited understanding, the study aimed to examine how tacit knowledge sharing affects organizational innovation capability, focusing on organizational learning and explicit knowledge sharing as mediators. The study collected cross-sectional data from 178 employees of public hospitals in Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria, using a structured questionnaire. The partial least squares technique was used to analyze the data. The study found that tacit knowledge significant and positive effect on innovation capability was fully and sequentially mediated by organizational learning and explicit knowledge sharing. The study concluded that tacit knowledge sharing is important for innovation, but organizations, especially public service organizations, will yield better outcomes when they cultivate an environment that supports continuous learning to acquire practical insights. The creative tension between different knowledge bases enhances explicit knowledge as well as its sharing, which potentially contributes to improving the capacity to create something new and of public benefit. Practical implications were also discussed to improve the connections among the constructs.