IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jknowl/v16y2025i2d10.1007_s13132-024-02030-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Modeling Sustainable Drivers of Competitive Advantage Through Knowledge-Oriented Leadership with Mediation of Knowledge Management Capabilities in the Higher Education System

Author

Listed:
  • Kamran Bagherimajd

    (University of Sistan and Baluchestan)

  • Kosar Khajedad

    (University of Sistan and Baluchestan)

Abstract

To achieve sustainability goals in a new competitive environment and to enhance their performance and productivity, higher education institutes need to establish sustainable competitive advantage. Accordingly, this research aimed to model drivers of sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) through knowledge-oriented leadership (KNOL) with mediation of knowledge management capabilities (KNMC) in the higher education system. This research has been implemented via correlation method across the population of faculty members of the university with 177 subjects based on stratified random sampling. The research instruments included three questionnaires of sustainable competitive advantage (SCA), knowledge-oriented leadership (KNOL), and knowledge management capabilities (KNMC). The reliability and validity of all three instruments, according to the research findings, were reported as suitable. In the analysis method, SmartPLS software was used involving structural equation modeling. The results indicated that knowledge-oriented leadership (KNOL) both directly and indirectly has been effective on reputation and legitimacy from competitive advantage through structural and process capabilities of knowledge management. Meanwhile, knowledge-oriented leadership (KNOL) has been effective on the process and structural capabilities of knowledge management. Furthermore, structural and process capabilities of knowledge management affected the reputation and legitimacy from competitive advantage. Also, reputation has been effective on legitimacy of competitive advantage. It can be stated that KNOL using transformational and transactional leadership style exerts a constructive role in the reputation and legitimacy in the higher education system. Meanwhile, the structural and process capabilities of the knowledge management are affected by the styles of knowledge-oriented leaders. Also, KNOL by employing structural and process capabilities of knowledge management influences acquisition of SCA. Also, the relationship between reputation and legitimacy as instruments of SCA is of interest in the educational system.

Suggested Citation

  • Kamran Bagherimajd & Kosar Khajedad, 2025. "Modeling Sustainable Drivers of Competitive Advantage Through Knowledge-Oriented Leadership with Mediation of Knowledge Management Capabilities in the Higher Education System," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 16(2), pages 7634-7664, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jknowl:v:16:y:2025:i:2:d:10.1007_s13132-024-02030-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s13132-024-02030-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s13132-024-02030-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s13132-024-02030-8?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

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Adelaide Martins & Delfina Gomes & Manuel Castelo Branco, 2020. "Managing Corporate Social and Environmental Disclosure: An Accountability vs. Impression Management Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-15, December.
    2. Novak Andrej & Kristijan Breznik & Srečko Natek, 2023. "Managing Knowledge to Improve Performance: the Impact of Leadership Style and Knowledge Management on Organizational Performance with Moderation Effects via PLS-SEM," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 14(2), pages 1672-1701, June.
    3. Zheng, Wei & Yang, Baiyin & McLean, Gary N., 2010. "Linking organizational culture, structure, strategy, and organizational effectiveness: Mediating role of knowledge management," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 63(7), pages 763-771, July.
    4. Miotto, Giorgia & Del-Castillo-Feito, Cristina & Blanco-González, Alicia, 2020. "Reputation and legitimacy: Key factors for Higher Education Institutions’ sustained competitive advantage," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 342-353.
    5. Díez-Martín, Francisco & Miotto, Giorgia & Cachón-Rodríguez, Gabriel, 2022. "Organizational legitimacy perception: Gender and uncertainty as bias for evaluation criteria," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 426-436.
    6. Veloutsou, Cleopatra & Moutinho, Luiz, 2009. "Brand relationships through brand reputation and brand tribalism," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 62(3), pages 314-322, March.
    7. Plewa, Carolin & Ho, Joanne & Conduit, Jodie & Karpen, Ingo O., 2016. "Reputation in higher education: A fuzzy set analysis of resource configurations," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(8), pages 3087-3095.
    8. Bjørn Stensaker & Jenny J. Lee & Gary Rhoades & Sowmya Ghosh & Santiago Castiello-Gutiérrez & Hillary Vance & Alper Çalıkoğlu & Vannessa Kramer & Shuiyun Liu & Mahmoud Sayed Marei & Leslie O’Toole & I, 2019. "Stratified University Strategies: The Shaping of Institutional Legitimacy in a Global Perspective," The Journal of Higher Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 90(4), pages 539-562, July.
    9. Chaney, Damien & Lunardo, Renaud & Bressolles, Grégory, 2016. "Making the store a place of learning: The effects of in-store educational activities on retailer legitimacy and shopping intentions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(12), pages 5886-5893.
    10. Andreas Georg Scherer & Guido Palazzo & David Seidl, 2013. "Managing Legitimacy in Complex and Heterogeneous Environments: Sustainable Development in a Globalized World," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(2), pages 259-284, March.
    11. Nisar Ahmad & Muhammad Saeed Lodhi & Khalid Zaman & Imran Naseem, 2017. "Knowledge Management: a Gateway for Organizational Performance," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 8(3), pages 859-876, September.
    12. Mahdi, Omar Rabeea & Nassar, Islam A. & Almsafir, Mahmoud Khalid, 2019. "Knowledge management processes and sustainable competitive advantage: An empirical examination in private universities," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 320-334.
    13. Mattia Cattaneo & Michele Meoli & Andrea Signori, 2016. "Performance-based funding and university research productivity: the moderating effect of university legitimacy," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 41(1), pages 85-104, February.
    14. Patrick Haack & Oliver Schilke & Lynne Zucker, 2021. "Legitimacy Revisited: Disentangling Propriety, Validity, and Consensus," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(3), pages 749-781, May.
    15. Tong Zhang & Zaffar A. Shaikh & Alexei V. Yumashev & Monika Chłąd, 2020. "Applied Model of E-Learning in the Framework of Education for Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-15, August.
    16. El Nemar, Sam & Vrontis, Demetris & Thrassou, Alkis, 2020. "An innovative stakeholder framework for the Student-Choice Decision making process," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 339-353.
    17. Donate, Mario J. & Sánchez de Pablo, Jesús D., 2015. "The role of knowledge-oriented leadership in knowledge management practices and innovation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(2), pages 360-370.
    18. Zubaida Qazi & Wasim Qazi & Syed Ali Raza & Sara Qamar Yousufi, 2022. "The Antecedents Affecting University Reputation and Student Satisfaction: A Study in Higher Education Context," Corporate Reputation Review, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 25(4), pages 253-271, November.
    19. Damien Chaney & Renaud Lunardo & Grégory Bressolles, 2016. "Making the store a place of learning: The effects of in-store educational activities on retailer legitimacy and shopping intentions," Post-Print hal-02047954, HAL.
    20. Hougyun Kim, 2014. "Transformational Leadership, Organizational Clan Culture, Organizational Affective Commitment, and Organizational Citizenship Behavior: A Case of South Korea's Public Sector," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 14(3), pages 397-417, September.
    21. Naqshbandi, M. Muzamil & Jasimuddin, Sajjad M., 2018. "Knowledge-oriented leadership and open innovation: Role of knowledge management capability in France-based multinationals," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 701-713.
    22. Liao, Chechen & Chuang, Shu-Hui & To, Pui-Lai, 2011. "How knowledge management mediates the relationship between environment and organizational structure," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 64(7), pages 728-736, July.
    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. Miotto, Giorgia & Del-Castillo-Feito, Cristina & Blanco-González, Alicia, 2020. "Reputation and legitimacy: Key factors for Higher Education Institutions’ sustained competitive advantage," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 342-353.
    2. Laura Pascual‐Nebreda & Pablo Cabanelas‐Lorenzo & Alicia Blanco‐González, 2022. "Understanding dissatisfaction through evaluation theory," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(7), pages 3116-3129, October.
    3. Déborah Philippe & Alain Debenedetti & Damien Chaney, 2022. "How brands mobilize status, reputation, and legitimacy cues to signal their social standing: The case of luxury watchmaking," Post-Print hal-03657352, HAL.
    4. Cristina Del-Castillo-Feito & Alicia Blanco-González & Rafael Delgado-Alemany, 2020. "The Relationship between Image, Legitimacy, and Reputation as a Sustainable Strategy: Students’ Versus Professors’ Perceptions in the Higher Education Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-16, February.
    5. María Dolores Aledo‐Ruiz & Eva Martínez‐Caro & José Manuel Santos‐Jaén, 2022. "The influence of corporate social responsibility on students' emotional appeal in the HEIs: The mediating effect of reputation and corporate image," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(3), pages 578-592, May.
    6. Cristina-Claudia PATRICHE & Silviu-Florin RAȚĂ, 2024. "The Impact Of Entrepreneurial Activities In Universities On Their Reputation," Business Excellence and Management, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 14(4), pages 21-35, December.
    7. Díez-Martín, Francisco & Miotto, Giorgia & Cachón-Rodríguez, Gabriel, 2022. "Organizational legitimacy perception: Gender and uncertainty as bias for evaluation criteria," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 426-436.
    8. Al-Kilani, Shaymaa & El Hedhli, Kamel, 2021. "How do restaurant atmospherics influence restaurant authenticity? An integrative framework and empirical evidence," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    9. Chux Gervase Iwu & Abdullah Promise Opute & Olayemi Abdullateef Aliyu & Chukuakadibia Eresia-Eke & Tichaona Buzy Musikavanhu & Afeez Olalekan Jaiyeola, 2021. "A Structural Equation Modelling Evaluation of Antecedents and Interconnections of Call Centre Agents’ Intention to Quit," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-21, April.
    10. Douglas Edward Abrahamson & Jane Goodman-Delahunty, 2014. "Impediments to Information and Knowledge Sharing Within Policing," SAGE Open, , vol. 4(1), pages 21582440135, January.
    11. Mamta Tripathi & Zuby Hasan, 2023. "Can leaders power and influence strategy enhance knowledge management in research intensive organizations: a modified TISM approach," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 57(5), pages 4725-4758, October.
    12. Al-Tal Mohammad Jaber Yousef & Emeagwali Okechukwu Lawrence, 2019. "Knowledge-based HR Practices and Innovation in SMEs," Organizacija, Sciendo, vol. 52(1), pages 6-21, February.
    13. Yuanqin Ge, 2022. "RETRACTED ARTICLE: The impact of dynamic knowledge management capability on enterprise innovation performance," Operations Management Research, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 1048-1059, December.
    14. Ben Slimane, Karim & Chaney, Damien & Humphreys, Ashlee & Leca, Bernard, 2019. "Bringing institutional theory to marketing: Taking stock and future research directions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 389-394.
    15. Loon, Mark, 2019. "Knowledge management practice system: Theorising from an international meta-standard," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 432-441.
    16. Lortie, Jason & Cox, Kevin C. & Roundy, Philip T., 2022. "Social impact models, legitimacy perceptions, and consumer responses to social ventures," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 312-321.
    17. Zhang, Yan & Han, Yu-Lan, 2019. "Paradoxical leader behavior in long-term corporate development: Antecedents and consequences," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 155(C), pages 42-54.
    18. Amna Manzoor & Bowen Zhang & Hongguang Ma, 2023. "Knowledge-Oriented Leadership in Powering Team Performance and Sustainable Competitive Advantages through Innovation: Evidence from Higher Education Institutions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-20, October.
    19. Nancy Abdal Wahab Al-Qatawneh & Samiah Jaber Al-Tarawneh & Nour Abdel Wahab Al-Qatawneh & Raid Mohd Al-Adaileh, 2019. "The Impact of Knowledge Management Processes on Operational Performance as Mediated by IT Agility," International Review of Management and Marketing, Econjournals, vol. 9(1), pages 36-43.
    20. Blanco-González, Alicia & Cachón-Rodríguez, Gabriel & Hernández-Perlines, Felipe & Prado-Román, Camilo, 2023. "Effects of social responsibility on legitimacy and revisit intention: The moderating role of anxiety," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 157(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:spr:jknowl:v:16:y:2025:i:2:d:10.1007_s13132-024-02030-8. 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.