The influence of organisational culture, knowledge sharing behaviour and intellectual capital on perceived workplace performance: A study of three Australian public sector organisations

Abstract

High-performing organisations are characterised by members who share knowledge to improve the capabilities of others; update the organisational storehouses of potential knowledge in systems, processes and procedures; and generate new knowledge through networks and partnership interactions. Such knowledge sharing is said to contribute to intellectual capital (the sum of knowledge that defines the organisation and provides advantages). A growing body of work is focused on identifying the factors that drive knowledge sharing, contribute to intellectual capital and enhance performance.

This thesis examines the role of organisational culture in knowledge sharing behaviour and the relationship to perceived performance in public sector teams and workgroups. It provides evidence that problems with organisational culture may affect knowledge sharing behaviour and elements of the organisation's intellectual capital, thereby also affecting performance. This research aimed to identify the factors that underpin a knowledge sharing culture and show their effects on knowledge sharing behaviour, contributing to intellectual capital and performance.

The research has several significant and innovative elements. First, it addresses a gap in existing work by providing a holistic and integrated account of the influence of organisational culture, knowledge sharing behaviour and intellectual capital on perceived workplace performance. Second, it explores these relationships specifically with respect to teams and work groups in the Australian public sector, while most prior research has been conducted in the private sector. Third, through the use of quantitative and qualitative methods and immersive research across three public sector entities, the research comprehensively examines aspects of organisational culture and their interrelationships to intellectual capital and workplace performance.

A multi-case study design was used, involving surveys, semi-structured interviews and content analysis of organisational material. The case study organisations were a military academy, a professional advisory government agency and a research organisation. Quantitative findings showed that organisational culture significantly influenced perceived performance in two of these three organisations. The quantitative analysis found that knowledge sharing behaviour alone did not significantly influence perceived performance in any of the organisations. Similarly, intellectual capital as a whole was not significantly associated with perceived performance. However, knowledge sharing behaviour significantly influenced the structural capital aspect of intellectual capital in one organisation.

Qualitative analysis results indicated that leadership, organisational structure, governance and goal alignment were key culture factors influencing perceived performance. Trust between employees and managers or leaders, as well as inadequate time to share knowledge, also influenced knowledge sharing activities. An unexpected finding was the impact of subgroups and restructures on knowledge sharing, intellectual capital and workplace performance.

The results have several implications, including the distinctive aspects of public sector organisations regarding culture, knowledge sharing and the impacts of knowledge sharing. The research also provides evidence that qualitative methods, despite being time consuming, can reveal and uncover the interrelationships between culture factors, knowledge sharing, intellectual capital and performance. This research has practical implications for public sector organisations seeking to remediate organisational culture deficiencies, improve knowledge sharing and effectively harness intellectual capital to deliver agreed outcomes.

Keywords: organisational culture, knowledge sharing, intellectual capital, performance, public sector Show more