Title: Knowledge creation, knowledge sharing, and competitive advantage in the telecoms industry: mediating role of knowledge application

Authors: William Makumbe; Leon T.B. Jackson; Clement Zvobgo; Anatolia Tshanyengandje Shooya

Addresses: Northwest University Business School, K14 Building, 110 Thabo Mbeki Way, Potchefstroom, South Africa ' Northwest University Business School, K14 Building, 110 Thabo Mbeki Way, Potchefstroom, South Africa ' Department of Business Management and Hospitality, Great Zimbabwe University, P.O. Box 1235, Masvingo, Zimbabwe ' The International University of Management, 12-31 Hercules Street, Dorado Park, Ext 1, Windoek, Namibia

Abstract: In the contemporary environment, organisations that acquire and apply knowledge effectively can achieve sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace. Consequently, knowledge management has gained prominence, especially during the fourth industrial revolution, driven by knowledge application. However, due to the multidimensional nature of the knowledge management construct, there exists a need for empirical studies on this concept, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Hence, this investigation studied the impact of knowledge creation and sharing on competitive advantage using knowledge creation as a mediating mechanism. Survey data, analysed using structural equation modelling, revealed that knowledge creation, knowledge sharing, and knowledge application significantly impacted competitive advantage. Whereas knowledge application partially mediated the relationship between knowledge sharing and competitive advantage, no mediation was found between knowledge creation and competitive advantage. The results of this study offer important insights to Zimbabwean telecoms managers.

Keywords: knowledge sharing; knowledge creation; knowledge application; competitive advantage.

DOI: 10.1504/IJKMS.2025.151424

International Journal of Knowledge Management Studies, 2025 Vol.16 No.4, pp.450 - 465

Received: 18 Sep 2024
Accepted: 15 Apr 2025
Published online: 29 Jan 2026 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article