IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/futbus/v11y2025i1d10.1186_s43093-025-00480-3.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Examining the mediating role of employee creativity: a study of how knowledge management influences and employee performance works in higher education institutions

Author

Listed:
  • Megha Ojha

    (Graphic Era deemed to be University)

  • Vinay Kandpal

    (Graphic Era deemed to be University)

  • Archana Singh

    (Graphic Era deemed to be University)

Abstract

Higher education institutions (HEIs) endeavor to increase employee performance (EP) by fostering employee creativity (EC) and knowledge management (KM) in order to gain and maintain a competitive edge. While taking into account the user's viewpoint on the impact of knowledge management (KM) processes—more especially, knowledge creation, retention, dissemination, and utilization—in HEIs, this study critically reviews the body of current literature. The study primarily examines how creative motivation may improve productivity among employees and how employee creativity can act as a mediator in the interaction between knowledge management and employee performance. A structured survey was administered to 432 academic staff members from India's research-intensive HEIs, and SPSS and AMOS were used for statistical analysis. The results show that employee performance is significantly impacted by knowledge management both directly and indirectly through employee inventiveness. In order to maximize knowledge-driven innovation and productivity, academic administrators and policymakers can benefit greatly from the insights, this study provides on the dynamic interactions among knowledge management, employee creativity, and institutional performance in HEIs.

Suggested Citation

  • Megha Ojha & Vinay Kandpal & Archana Singh, 2025. "Examining the mediating role of employee creativity: a study of how knowledge management influences and employee performance works in higher education institutions," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-16, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:futbus:v:11:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1186_s43093-025-00480-3
    DOI: 10.1186/s43093-025-00480-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1186/s43093-025-00480-3
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1186/s43093-025-00480-3?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jiménez-Jiménez, Daniel & Sanz-Valle, Raquel, 2011. "Innovation, organizational learning, and performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 64(4), pages 408-417, April.
    2. Andrew B. Hargadon & Beth A. Bechky, 2006. "When Collections of Creatives Become Creative Collectives: A Field Study of Problem Solving at Work," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 17(4), pages 484-500, August.
    3. Fariborz Damanpour & Richard M. Walker & Claudia N. Avellaneda, 2009. "Combinative Effects of Innovation Types and Organizational Performance: A Longitudinal Study of Service Organizations," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(4), pages 650-675, June.
    4. Kathleen M. Eisenhardt & Jeffrey A. Martin, 2000. "Dynamic capabilities: what are they?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(10‐11), pages 1105-1121, October.
    5. Sajjad Alam & Jianhua Zhang & Naveed Khan & Wen Dandan, 2024. "Mechanism of green and knowledge process toward minimizing innovation risks: A direct and configuration approach," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(8), pages 7750-7767, December.
    6. Stefania Mariano & Yukika Awazu, 2016. "Artifacts in knowledge management research: a systematic literature review and future research directions," Post-Print hal-01563006, HAL.
    7. Laith Ali Al-Hakim & Shahizan Hassan, 2016. "Core requirements of knowledge management implementation, innovation and organizational performance," Journal of Business Economics and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(1), pages 109-124, February.
    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. Hatak, Isabella & Kautonen, Teemu & Fink, Matthias & Kansikas, Juha, 2016. "Innovativeness and family-firm performance: The moderating effect of family commitment," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 120-131.
    2. Arranz, N. & Arroyabe, M.F. & Li, Jun & de Arroyabe, J.C. Fernandez, 2019. "An integrated model of organisational innovation and firm performance: Generation, persistence and complementarity," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 270-282.
    3. Camisón, César & Villar-López, Ana, 2014. "Organizational innovation as an enabler of technological innovation capabilities and firm performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(1), pages 2891-2902.
    4. Ngo, Liem Viet & O'Cass, Aron, 2013. "Innovation and business success: The mediating role of customer participation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 66(8), pages 1134-1142.
    5. Khosravi, Pouria & Newton, Cameron & Rezvani, Azadeh, 2019. "Management innovation: A systematic review and meta-analysis of past decades of research," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 694-707.
    6. Pino, Cesar & Felzensztein, Christian & Zwerg-Villegas, Anne Marie & Arias-Bolzmann, Leopoldo, 2016. "Non-technological innovations: Market performance of exporting firms in South America," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(10), pages 4385-4393.
    7. Li Yue, 2022. "Impact of Tacit Knowledge Acquisition on Innovation Performance of Innovative Enterprises in Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area," International Journal of Science and Business, IJSAB International, vol. 14(1), pages 251-272.
    8. Abel Duarte Alonso & Seng K. Kok & Seamus O'Brien, 2019. "Understanding Approaches To Innovation Through The Dynamic Capabilities Lens: A Multi-Country Study Of The Wine Industry," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 23(06), pages 1-30, August.
    9. Miikka Blomster & Timo Koivumäki, 2022. "Exploring the resources, competencies, and capabilities needed for successful machine learning projects in digital marketing," Information Systems and e-Business Management, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 123-169, March.
    10. Anning-Dorson, Thomas, 2018. "Customer involvement capability and service firm performance: The mediating role of innovation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 269-280.
    11. Mohamed Laid Ouakouak & Noufou Ouedraogo, 2017. "Antecedents Of Employee Creativity And Organisational Innovation: An Empirical Study," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 21(07), pages 1-26, October.
    12. Marlenne G. Velazquez-Cazares & Anna M. Gil-Lafuente & Ernesto Leon-Castro & Fabio Blanco-Mesa, 2021. "Innovation capabilities measurement using fuzzy methodologies: a Colombian SMEs case," Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, Springer, vol. 27(4), pages 384-413, December.
    13. Matthijs J. Janssen & Koen Frenken & Elena M. Tur & Alexander S. Alexiev, 2022. "The perils of pleasing: Innovation-stifling effects of customized service provision," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 32(4), pages 1231-1264, September.
    14. Santos, David Ferreira Lopes & Basso, Leonardo Fernando Cruz & Kimura, Herbert, 2018. "The trajectory of the ability to innovate and the financial performance of the Brazilian industry," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 258-270.
    15. Camisón, César & Monfort-Mir, Vicente M., 2012. "Measuring innovation in tourism from the Schumpeterian and the dynamic-capabilities perspectives," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 776-789.
    16. Mariano, Stefania & Al-Arrayed, Suad, 2018. "Combinations of absorptive capacity metaroutines: The role of organizational disruptions and time constraints," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 171-182.
    17. Salunke, Sandeep & Weerawardena, Jay & McColl-Kennedy, Janet R., 2013. "Competing through service innovation: The role of bricolage and entrepreneurship in project-oriented firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 66(8), pages 1085-1097.
    18. Carmen González-Velasco & Marcos González-Fernández & José-Luis Fanjul-Suárez, 2019. "Does innovative effort matter for corporate performance in Spanish companies in a context of financial crisis? A fuzzy-set QCA approach," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 56(5), pages 1707-1727, May.
    19. Anna Cabigiosu & Diego Campagnolo, 2016. "The economic performance of innovations in a collaborative setting: the case of KIBS firms," Working Papers 22, Venice School of Management - Department of Management, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia.
    20. Andreas Kallmuenzer & Ursula Scholl-Grissemann, 2017. "Disentangling antecedents and performance effects of family SME innovation: A knowledge-based perspective," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 13(4), pages 1117-1138, December.

    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:spr:futbus:v:11:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1186_s43093-025-00480-3. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.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.