Knowledge Sharing and Organizational Commitment: Psychological Capital as a Mediator and Self-Actualization as Moderator

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the effect of knowledge sharing on organizational commitment. A conceptual model shows hypothesized relationships between knowledge sharing, psychological capital, and organizational commitment. Further, the roles of self-actualization and gender as moderators have been explored. The model is tested with data from faculty members from higher educational institutions in southern India. Using a structured survey instrument, data were collected from 368 faculty members and analyzed after testing the instrument’s psychometric properties using LISREL9 software for structural equation modeling. PROCESS macros were used to test hypotheses. The results reveal that (i) knowledge sharing significantly and positively impacts psychological capital and organizational commitment, and (ii) psychological capital mediates the relationship between knowledge sharing and organizational commitment. The results strongly support self-actualization as moderating the relationship between knowledge sharing and psychological capital. Further, gender as a moderator showed that the relationship between knowledge sharing and organizational commitment was stronger for female faculty compared to male faculty members. The theoretical contribution and practical implications are discussed. Keywords: knowledge sharing, psychological capital, organizational commitment, self-actualization, gender, higher educational institutions, India.