The Impact of Automation and Knowledge Workers on Employees’ Outcomes: Mediating Role of Knowledge Transfer

Abstract

While there are existing empirical reviews regarding the relation between knowledge workers (KW) and knowledge transfer (KT), no study has examined the association of automation and knowledge transfer. The study describes knowledge workers as employees embedded with special abilities and having the main role of transfering their abilities to other workers in the organization. Additionally, automation (AUT) is described in the study as a technological process embedded with tacit knowledge. Therefore, using knowledge worker productivity theory and the technology acceptance model, this study aims to recommend and test a research model which examines the mediating role of knowledge transfer between automation, knowledge workers, and employee outcomes (employee creativity (EC) and innovative performance (IP)). The study evaluates the significant influence of knowledge transfer on innovative performance and creativity of other employees within the organization. This study applied a judgmental non-probability sampling research strategy to gather data from employees at an industrial firm in Japan by administering a questionnaire via Google Form. The data were analyzed with partial least squares based on structural equation modeling aimed at testing the predictive power and relationships of the model estimates. The results found support for the mediating role of knowledge transfer between automation and employee creativity as well as between automation and innovative performance. However, the study found partial support that knowledge transfer mediates the relationship between knowledge worker and employee creativity, as well as knowledge worker and innovative performance. In the same, automation and knowledge workers have significant impacts on knowledge transfer. Knowledge transfer has a significant impact on employee creativity and innovative performance.

Role of Total Quality Management Towards Organizational Performance Through Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Capabilities

“…All of the relationships tested in the current study were significant, so we can conclude that employee innovation and knowledge transfer skills mediate the link between contextual TQM factors and the organizational performance. Furthermore, most of the studies previously conducted verify the findings of the current research (Itoe Mote & Karadas, 2022;Turkulainen, 2022).…”

Retaining knowledge workers for effective digital transformation

“…Although knowledge workers are an important asset for the digital transformation of SMEs [7], there is a dearth of studies that focus specifically on how to retain knowledge workers in Malaysia. Moreover, training and development and work-life balance are not covered in the previous human capital management literature [5,8,9], although these factors are believed to play an essential role in affecting knowledge worker's retention post-COVID-19 pandemic.…”

“…In the United States, America has a high percentage of knowledge workers leaving the company. In Europe, young workers are decreasing due to low birth rates and immigration rates [8]. In China, the knowledge worker's shortage is very serious due to the ageing population [1].…”

“…Training and development refers to a series of staff advancement activities aimed at helping knowledge workers acquire cutting-edge technology, knowledge, and skills to improve their job performance [2]. Training and development are more focused on employee growth and future performance than the job position [8]. Training and development are an educational process in the organization to enhance the knowledge workers' skills, and expertise towards forming a professional image and attitude at the workplace [1].…”

Harnessing technological innovation capabilities by the mediating effect of willingness to share tacit knowledge: a case from Pakistani software SMEs

“…Most of the previous studies have taken TKS willingness as final dependent variables and ignored its mediation effect between the potential factors and its consequences (Obrenovic et al, 2020;Fuller, 2021;Gupta et al, 2021), such as TICs. The author found few studies investigating the WSTK as a mediator (Dong et al, 2022;Mote and Karadas, 2022). In addition, the research findings of Dong et al (2022) revealed that there was not only direct and positive effect on knowledge transfer performance but also indirect and positive influence on the mediating role of users' willingness of knowledge sharing.…”