Knowledge sharing and social dilemma in bureaucratic organizations: Evidence from public sector in Pakistan

Abstract

Bureaucratic organizational structure (OS) is perceived as an impediment to employees’ positive behavior including their knowledge-sharing behavior. This study investigates the role of formal, centralized and hierarchal OS in shaping the knowledge sharing behavior of public employees. It investigates the mediation role of social dilemma, i.e., a clash between self and collective interests. Cross-sectional data are collected from 309 executive employees of five federal ministries in Pakistan. The results confirm that formal and centralized OS receive significant positive association, whereas hierarchal OS receives a significant negative association with employees’ knowledge-sharing behavior. Partial negative mediation role of the social dilemma is also evident from the results. It implies that employees prefer to pursue self-interest when they find a clash between self and collective interests. Therefore, the study suggests concrete measures in human resource policies and practices that may improve the ethical environment of public sector institutions.

Keywords:

• knowledge sharing
• red tape
• green tape
• public sector
• social dilemma
• bureaucratic organizational structure
• Pakistan

PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT

Knowledge sharing is an activity that transforms individuals’ knowledge into organizational learning. However, in bureaucratic organizations, it is difficult to ensure that employees share knowledge with colleagues. There are several organizational and behavioral factors that impede the free flow of knowledge among employees in an organization. Identification of these factors may assist policymakers to devise favorable policies that support employees in shaping their knowledge-sharing behavior. This study, therefore, has assessed the structural and behavioral impediments of knowledge sharing in the bureaucratic organizational structure. Bureaucratic organizational structure is perceived as a burden on employees and has a negative impact on their behavior. Long hierarchal organizational structure, power game and perceived cost of knowledge sharing in terms of loss of ones’ unique value are identified as the barriers for shaping employees' knowledge-sharing behavior.

Additional information

Funding

The authors received no direct funding for this research.

Notes on contributors

Quratulain Amber

Quratulain Amber is a Doctoral student at COMSATS University, Islamabad. Her research interests are public policy, knowledge sharing, public service motivation, public management reforms. She has seven years teaching and administrative. She has published her research work in international journals.

Mansoor Ahmad

Dr. Mansoor Ahmed is the Assistant Professor at COMSATS University, Islamabad. His research interests are high performance HRM, convergence/divergence debate and institutional theory. He has more than 12 years teaching and administrative experience. He has published his research in prominent international journals.

Iram A. Khan

Dr. Iram A. Khan is the Senior Joint Secretary at Auditor General Pakistan. His research interests are knowledge groups, public policy and knowledge management. He has a vast experience of teaching in several universities in Pakistan. He has published his research in prominent international journals.

Fakhar Abbas Hashmi

Mr. Fakhar Abbas Hashmi is the research scholar and Librarian at Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. He has published his work in international journals.