Date of Award

Spring 4-2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Information Systems (PhDIS)

Department

Business and Information Systems

First Advisor

Omar El-Gayar

Second Advisor

Insu Park

Third Advisor

David Zeng

Abstract

In today business environment, Higher education institutions are facing a common challenge in the wake of rapid changes due to substantial drops in public funding for public colleges and universities, a larger number of calls for transparency, rapid expansion of the global business. To survive, organizations of higher education must improve their performance continually. Researchers reported that knowledge and effectively managing knowledge can help HEIs improve their performance by solving many of these problems and acquire and sustain competitive advantage. It is beneficial to explore the factors that impact the effective implementation of knowledge management within higher education institutions. These factors are organizational culture, and leadership styles. Additionally, it is essential to investigate the leadership style that best supports effective implementation of knowledge management.

This study sought to examine the relationship between organizational culture (mission, adaptability, involvement, consistency), leadership styles (transformational and transactional), knowledge management effectiveness, and organizational performance. The study also analyzed the mediating role of organizational culture on the relationship between leadership styles and knowledge management effectiveness.

Based on existing literature, eight hypotheses and a conceptual model were developed regarding the relationships of the five constructs: organizational culture, transformational and transformational leadership, knowledge management effectiveness and organizational performance. All constructs are measured by multi-items scales. For this study, organizational performance and knowledge management effectiveness were taken as dependents variables. Leadership styles of transformational and transactional and organizational culture were taken as independent variables. Organizational culture (mission, consistency, adaptability, and involvement) served as mediator variable.

A questionnaire was used to collect data; this questionnaire was administered to 251 faculty and administrative leaders employed at 20 universities and colleges across the United States of America. Only 136 were entirely completed and deemed useful for the study. Structural equation modeling and Confirmatory Factor Analysis within SEM were adopted for data analysis. Results were presented using frequency distribution tables and graphs.

Key findings suggested that organizational culture and transformational leadership impacted knowledge management effectiveness. But transactional leadership did not.

Consequently, knowledge management effectiveness impacted organizational performance. While organizational culture mediated the effects of transformational leadership on knowledge management effectiveness, no mediating effect of organizational culture was found on the effect of transactional leadership on knowledge management effectiveness. Organizational culture has the largest positive impact on knowledge management effectiveness.

These results may inform the successful implementation of KM practices, which in term improve the performance of higher educational institutions across the United States of America.

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