Pathways From Knowledge-Sharing Culture to Organizational Creativity: The Mechanism of Tacit Knowledge Sharing
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Abstract
This study explores how five conditions - knowledge‑sharing culture, tacit knowledge sharing, explicit knowledge sharing, organizational trust, and leadership support -combine to generate high organizational creativity, with a focus on the critical role of tacit knowledge sharing across multiple configurations. Using fuzzy‑set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), this study conducted semi‑structured interviews and surveys with middle/senior managers and team leaders from 22 high‑tech enterprises in eastern China, yielding 22 valid cases. Results showed that five equifinal pathways to high organizational creativity are revealed, which can be summarized into three typical patterns: “tacit‑driven” - combinations of knowledge‑sharing culture and tacit knowledge sharing, complemented by either organizational trust or leadership support; “explicit‑tacit synergy” - both explicit and tacit knowledge sharing serve as core conditions; and “system‑supported” - all five conditions present simultaneously. Tacit knowledge sharing appears as a core condition in four of the five pathways, the highest frequency among all conditions, whereas explicit knowledge sharing must be matched with tacit knowledge sharing to be effective.
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