Examining the Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Tacit Knowledge Sharing using a Moderated Mediation Model

Abstract

This study empirically tested that emotional intelligence as an important antecedent in tacit knowledge sharing through the mediating role of professional commitment as well as the moderating effect of perceived organizational support. A self-administrated questionnaire was employed to collect relevant data from employees working in knowledge-intensive and challenging industries such as IT, semiconductors, electronics, medicine, chemistry and biochemistry. The survey yielded a total of 278 effective responses, PROCESS package developed by Hayes was utilized to evaluate the hypotheses. Consistent with theoretical perspective gained from social exchange theory and self-determination theory, the results indicated that employees with higher level of emotional intelligence tend to have higher professional commitment toward the organization, which further fosters tacit knowledge sharing behavior. Prior research predominantly focused on team and organizational motivations and outcomes, relatively little knowledge is known about the link between individual characteristics and tacit knowledge sharing. The current study aims to contribute to knowledge management literature by addressing such research gap. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed in the last part. JEL Classification: M10, M12, O39.