Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of ownership of public sector organizations on the implementation of knowledge management (KM) processes and subsequent performance. Design/methodology/approach Using 268 responses obtained from a structured country-wide survey, the study assesses the hypothesized differences in the implementation of KM processes (knowledge creation, knowledge capture and storage, knowledge sharing and knowledge application and use), the overall performance benefits of implementation (innovation, quality and operational performance), and their relationships, among the federal, state and semi-government organizations in the United Arab Emirates. Findings The results show that federal government organizations implement all four KM processes to the greatest extent, followed by state and semi-government organizations. In general, all KM processes had a significant positive impact on the innovation, quality and operational performance of the public sector, but the strength of this impact was found to differ across different public sector organizations. The overall improvement in all three performance aspects was found to be highest for federal, followed by state and semi-government organizations. Practical implications The findings of this study are useful for practitioners and policymakers, especially those overseeing national KM programs to devise strategies, policies and support mechanisms to ensure that public sector organizations, regardless of their ownership, can implement efficient and effective KM processes and achieve their desired performance goals. Originality/value The study is arguably the first comprehensive attempt to understand the impact of firm ownership on KM in the public sector.

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