Exploring the Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic-Induced Uncertainties on Knowledge Sharing Behaviors in a Philippine Higher Education Institution

Abstract

The global health emergency known as the COVID-19 crisis changes the way organizations and community members interact and evolve for their survival. It has broken old norms and created breakthroughs on how to view the present and future ecosystems both local and global. Universities and higher education institutions continue to be challenged by the current dynamic trends and be blathered by enormous uncertainty on what the future may bring that may once again alter the emerging normal. Consequently, academics critically need to be future-ready to become ever more relevant and prepared in dealing with uncertainties capitalizing on the knowledge that smoothly flows at the intra-organizational level. This dissertation then presents an exploratory uncertainty-knowledge sharing model contextualized in COVID-19 pandemic-induced-environmental uncertainty. Built around the integrative framework of contingency theory, information decision-making, and functional model of interpretation, it aims to explain the multi-dimensionality and relationships between perceived environmental uncertainty and knowledge sharing behaviors within an organization. Data were collected from the responses of 224 academics through online survey in a large higher education institution in the Philippines. Partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to determine the path and extent of relationships. The results are as follows: (1) Perceived state uncertainty has positive influence on effect uncertainty. (2) Effect uncertainty has positive influence on response uncertainty. (3) State uncertainty has negative influence on knowledge donating while (4) Response uncertainty has negative influence both on knowledge donating and knowledge collecting. (5) Perceived knowledge-donating has positive influence on knowledge-collecting behavior. On one hand, the influence of gender is the only significant factor in moderating the relationship between knowledge donation and knowledge collection, as academic age, educational qualifications, rank, experience, and managerial role do not have a significant effect in this study. Although based on cross-sectional survey in one particular knowledge-intensive organization, the analysis permits some generalizations that extend existing knowledge and provide a novel and more strategic approach on dealing with uncertainties and improving intra-organizational knowledge flows. In so far as this study is concerned, this is by far the first attempt to investigate concurrently the paths of the distinct disaggregated dimensions of uncertainty, explicitly framed in pandemic-induced context and the links of knowledge sharing sub-processes. Thus, it provides alternative approach in the explanation between the connection of contingent environmental knowledge management enabler and processes and the academic demographics in characterizing knowledge sharing behaviors. Aside from the academics, similar organizational decision-makers negotiating with pandemic-or-crisis-induced hyperturbulent environmental uncertainty may capitalize on the ‘mental mapping prompts’ this dissertation finds evidently related and useful. Future research agenda and practical implications for increased intra-organizational knowledge flows with equitable and inclusive engagement of diverse knowledge workers are also advanced.