Knowledge governance has attracted much attention regarding its significant impact on organizational innovation. However, there are relatively few studies on the relationship between knowledge governance and individual innovation, as well as the exploration of its effect mechanisms. This study draws on the conservation of resources theory to explore the relationship between knowledge governance and individual innovation performance.
This study used paired survey data collected from 82 team leaders and 478 employees to examine theoretical hypotheses.
The results revealed that knowledge governance was positively related to individual innovation performance, and this relationship was mediated by knowledge manipulation and knowledge transfer. Moreover, the direct and indirect relationship between knowledge governance and individual innovation performance was moderated by individual knowledge absorptive capacity.
Organizations should establish a knowledge governance mechanism that facilitates the flow of knowledge resources within the organization, fostering a culture of knowledge sharing and transfer among employees. Additionally, managers must offer ample assistance and support to alleviate employees’ concerns about resource loss, which ensures alignment between individual and organizational goals, enhancing synergistic efforts and reducing knowledge manipulation behavior. Furthermore, enterprises should also highlight and cultivate employees’ knowledge absorptive capacity to improve their efficiency in assimilating and utilizing new knowledge resources and thus promote individual innovation.
This research has contributed to the field of knowledge governance by revealing the mediating mechanisms and boundary conditions of how knowledge governance impacts individual innovation performance. It has also offered valuable insights for scholars and managers to effectively exploit the benefits of knowledge governance mechanisms.
