Fostering Knowledge-Sharing Behavior: A Proposed Model for the Hospitality Industry of Pakistan

Introduction

Knowledge is related to the practical or theoretical understanding of the subject which can either be implicit or explicit. It can also be less or more systematic or formal. A well-developed knowledge sharing system enables service organizations to obtain new knowledge and improve customer service. The successful implementation of such a system offers an opportunity for mutual learning and sharing between employees. Rowley (2000) termed this process of acquiring, distributing and retaining as knowledge management. Through motivational programs aimed at encouraging knowledge sharing, the behavior may bring overall service quality.

Knowledge management (KM) is a process to create, share, use and manage the information and knowledge of an organization. It refers to a multidisciplinary approach to achieving organizational objectives by making the best use of knowledge. Knowledge sharing (KSB) was also studied as a tool for knowledge management (Kang et al., 2017) and organizational learning (Almeida & Soares, 2014). It also helps in the expansion of knowledge networks in the organization (Saifi et al., 2016; Reinholt & Foss, 2011). It turns out to be an individual behavior not just a decision of the organization. Knowledge management (KM) in hospitality is especially relevant for attaining competitive advantage (Musulin, Gamulin & Crnojevac, 2011).

The present research seeks to validate the concept of knowledge sharing which is needed to be included in the hospitality management and human resource fields in the present knowledge era. Such behavior is conceptualized as the extent to which an employee shares his acquired job-related knowledge, with others in the organization. This knowledge can either be explicit or tacit. Knowledge management guide hotel managers and marketers in their marketing analyses by elevating internal customers’ competences in dealing with their guests and clients. This results in increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty, leading to organization effectiveness (Chang & Huang, 2010).

The hospitality industry is now becoming knowledge-intensive due to the great influence and use of ICT and the nature of the service product (Baldwin-Evans, 2006). This industry is services based which is immaterial so its quality is based on an interaction between customers and employees who have to be knowledgeable of customers’ needs to achieve customers’ satisfaction. Therefore, companies could obtain significant benefits from KM by boosting and facilitating knowledge sharing across the organization which would increase the quality of output service. KM is particularly important for hotel chains that have to deliver a consistent service in all of their hotels distributed around the world.

KSB has received focus from the industry like Knowledge-Intensive Business Services (KIBS) and academia both. This type of industry mainly depends on professional knowledge. Less knowledge has been created in the hospitality sector, thus, it can be explored further. KBS has been considered as an important aspect which supports the hospitality service level (Bounvken, 2002). The industrial prospects also depend on personal communication and interaction because of being labor-intensive mechanism. However, tacit knowledge is found to be mainly prevailed here (Rao, Yang and Yang, 2018). If there is less motivation, the level of personal knowledge sharing would have been decreased or it would lead to invalid knowledge creation. Hence, a knowledge management system may facilitate the tourism and hotel industry to be a third party factor to motivate the knowledge sharing process.

Current research has also focused on the knowledge systems role and KSB, which also comprises of management role in personal knowledge and information (Hwang, Lin & Shin, 2018). Knowledge sharing has been defined as “the process of creating knowledge available to the others in the organization” (Ipe, 2003).