Exploring the relationships among tacit knowledge sharing, mentoring and employees’ abilities

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to assess the relationships among tacit knowledge sharing, mentoring and employees’ abilities in the areas of solving the work problems, adaptation to environments and creation of new innovative ideas. Design/methodology/approach This study applied quantitative research methods to examine the causal relationships among the key study variables. A questionnaire-based survey developed to evaluate the research model by drawing a convenience sample includes 123 employees working in the selected company headquarters in Jordan. Surveyed data were examined following the structural equation modeling procedures. Findings Results revealed that tacit knowledge sharing had a positive effect on employees’ abilities in the areas of adaptation to the work environments and creation of innovative ideas, while there was no an affirmative effect on employees’ abilities in the area of solving the work problems. In addition, the study showed that mentoring had a positive effect on employees’ abilities in terms of solving work problems, adaptation to work environments and creation of new innovative ideas. Furthermore, mentoring had mediated the relationship between tacit knowledge sharing and employees’ abilities. Research limitations/implications The findings of this study lay a basis for future studies pertain to the effect of tacit knowledge sharing and mentoring on the employees’ abilities as preconditions for improving organizational performance. These findings would be supported by future research studies, the examining of larger samples of pharmaceutical companies to give deeper meanings and more understandings of the relationship, among key study variables. The authors argue that it is useful to expand the current research by conducting future studies, examining the mediating role of other social learning methods such as storytelling and community of practices on relationship between tacit knowledge sharing and employees abilities. Practical implications The current research model will assist knowledge managers and practitioners to take serious decisions pertaining employees’ involvement in the process of tacit knowledge sharing and mentoring as preconditions for superior organizational. As well as, it can be a step forward for conducting further research studies on relationships among tacit knowledge sharing, mentoring and employees abilities. Social implications This suggested model may act as a catalyst for continuous improvements to the Jordan pharmaceutical industry in terms of producing high-quality medicines that improve health of humans and the society at large. Originality/value Although academic studies on knowledge management showed a positive relationship between tacit knowledge sharing and organizational performance, few studies examined the relationships between tacit knowledge sharing and employees’ abilities as preconditions for superior organizational performance. Furthermore, they ignored to examine the effect of the crucial mediating role of mentoring on the relationship between the two constructs. Therefore, this research tries to fill these gaps appropriately.