The Effect of Knowledge Sharing Practices on Employees’ Knowledge and Capabilities in Hotel Industry in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Hotel industry is a service rendered industry where human resource holds a major position. Employees’ knowledge and capabilities are considered as most critical factors in such kind of industry. Organizations have been faced with bad experiences like modern and costly information storage systems because; employees do not intend to share their skills, knowledge and experiences with other employees. Nowadays hotels are required to follow most of the strategies to manage human resources effectively and knowledge sharing can be considered as an ideal model for conduct hotel operations effectively in each and every department in hotel. Further, HRM literature on knowledge sharing explored the influence of single practices individually on knowledge sharing, but limited studies have included the influence of combinations of practices. Therefore, the researchers exploring the gaps by arguing that Human Resource (HR) practices combined together with employee motivation and enabling knowledge sharing within organizations. Thus, the study based on four objectives; first it aims to identify the existing level of knowledge sharing practices in hotel industry. Second study explores the relationship among knowledge sharing, motivation and employees’ knowledge and capabilities. Third it reveals the impact of knowledge sharing on employees’ knowledge and capabilities; training and capability. Finally, it examines how motivational factors mediate the relationship between knowledge sharing and employees’ knowledge and capabilities. Survey data were collected from two hundred operational level employees from four star and five star hotels in Colombo region. Study used survey method and the measures were adopted from past literature. Further, this study used multistage sampling technique to collect primary data. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, multiple regression, coefficient correlation, Baron and Kenny mediator assessment and Sobel test. The results of the study indicated that there is a positive relationship between knowledge sharing and employees’ knowledge and capability. Mediator analysis finding illustrates that employee motivation significantly and partially mediates the relationship between knowledge sharing and employees’ knowledge and capability (training and capability). The findings of the study suggest that the top-level managers of the hotel industry can improve employees’ knowledge and capabilities by enhancing proper implementation of knowledge sharing practice through stimulating intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.