Title: Impact of barriers on knowledge management and project success in IT firms: significance of knowledge worker ambidexterity

Authors: Sameen Khalid; Yiyuan Li

Addresses: School of Economics and Management, Southwest Jiaotong University, China ' School of Economics and Management, Southwest Jiaotong University, China

Abstract: This study examines how autocratic leadership and opportunistic behaviour of knowledge workers affect the knowledge management process. While studying the impact of knowledge management on project success, the article also examines how knowledge worker ambidexterity mediates this effect. The sample consists of 450 knowledge workers from 16 prominent IT firms in Pakistan's major cities. PLS-SEM was used to analyse data gathered through questionnaires and convenience sampling. Results show that autocratic leadership and opportunistic behaviour hinder knowledge management in Pakistani IT enterprises and indirectly affect project success. The knowledge management process benefits project success, however, knowledge worker ambidexterity partially mediates this link. The study expands the knowledge-based view to emphasise identifying and removing knowledge management (KM) barriers. It integrates the organisational behaviour concepts with KM theory and project management. Finally, theoretical contributions and manager and policymaker implications are covered.

Keywords: knowledge management barriers; autocratic leadership; AL; opportunistic behaviour; OB; knowledge management; KM; process; knowledge worker ambidexterity; KWA; project success; information technology sector Pakistan.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBSR.2024.140782

International Journal of Business and Systems Research, 2024 Vol.18 No.5, pp.430 - 452

Received: 30 Sep 2023
Accepted: 29 Jan 2024
Published online: 02 Sep 2024 *

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