Knowledge sharing influence on innovation: A case of textile and garment enterprises in Vietnam

Abstract

The study seeks to investigate the relationship between knowledge sharing and innovation in garment and textile enterprises. While previous research has found many factors influencing knowledge sharing, little research has been done about the influence of knowledge sharing on innovation in enterprises in developing countries like Vietnam. In particular, the textile industry plays an important role in export, but outsourcing is accounting for a high proportion of trade; it is necessary to increase innovation in order to increase the competitive advantage by internal capacity. The data is collected from a survey of 245 employees at 20 textile and garment enterprises in Vietnam to study the knowledge sharing influence on innovation. The methodology includes pilot study and quantitative method. The pilot study tests the questionnaire on the respondents. The quantitative method applies SEM analysis to measure the knowledge sharing influence on innovation. The results identify eight factors that positively impact knowledge sharing: rewarding, teamwork, management support, joy of knowledge sharing, communication, trust, commitment, and information technology. This study also shows that knowledge sharing affects innovation. The main findings are discussed for textile and garment enterprises to apply innovative capacity in the context of increasing global integration.