Title: Is the correlation between knowledge sharing and firm innovation performance contingent on network trust and hierarchical culture? Evidence from the Chinese high-tech sector

Authors: Francis Boadu; Yifei Du; Yu Xie; Elizabeth Dwomo-Fokuo

Addresses: Faculty of Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development, Kumasi Technical University, P.O. Box 854, Kumasi, Ghana ' School of Management and Economics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China ' Research Centre for Enterprise Management, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing, 400067, China; School of Management, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing, 400067, China ' Faculty of Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development, Kumasi Technical University, P.O. Box 854, Kumasi, Ghana

Abstract: Innovation is of great significance to firms seeking competitive advantage and survival. Building upon the resource-based view and social exchange theory, we explore whether the association between knowledge sharing and firm innovation performance is contingent on network trust and hierarchical culture. Using a survey dataset from 151 Chinese high-tech employees. We find that: 1) knowledge sharing affects firm innovation performance; 2) knowledge sharing influences network trust; 3) network trust played a significant mediation role in the knowledge sharing - firm innovation performance relationship; 4) network trust affects firm innovation performance; 5) hierarchical culture significantly moderates the correlation among network trust and firm innovation performance. The study proposes a moderated mediation model to fully illustrate the linkages amongst knowledge sharing, network trust, hierarchical culture, and innovation performance to offer a guide regarding how high-tech sectors can attain superior innovation outcomes.

Keywords: knowledge sharing; network trust; hierarchical culture; firm innovation performance; competitive edge; emerging economies; moderated mediating model; hierarchical linear modelling; high-tech industry; organisational culture; reciprocity; competitiveness; resource-based view; social exchange theory.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.2023.128839

International Journal of Technology Management, 2023 Vol.92 No.3, pp.206 - 228

Accepted: 24 Mar 2022
Published online: 07 Feb 2023 *

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