The Impact of Knowledge Management on Faculty Members’ Productivity: Testing a Hybrid Model Based on Causal–Transfer Theory, Resource-Based View, and Learning Organization Theory

Abstract

This study aimed to design and test a hybrid model of the impact of knowledge management on faculty members’ productivity by integrating Causal–Transfer Theory, the Resource-Based View, and Learning Organization Theory. The present research is applied in purpose and follows a descriptive–survey correlational design. The statistical population consisted of all faculty members of Islamic Azad University, Region 8 (approximately 350 individuals). Using Cochran’s formula and stratified random sampling, 183 participants were selected as the sample. Data were collected through a researcher-developed questionnaire comprising 80 items for knowledge management (across six components), 42 items for faculty productivity (across three dimensions), and 20 items measuring four mediating mechanisms (reduction of organizational rework, acceleration of the innovation process, improvement of decision-making quality, and reduction of the empowerment and training cycle time). Instrument validity was confirmed through expert judgment, and reliability was verified using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Structural equation modeling was employed for data analysis and conceptual model testing. The findings indicated that knowledge management exerts both direct and indirect positive and statistically significant effects on overall faculty productivity through the four mediating mechanisms. Knowledge management showed the strongest direct effect on improving decision-making quality, followed respectively by acceleration of the innovation process, reduction of organizational rework, and reduction of the empowerment cycle time. Among the mediating mechanisms, reduction of organizational rework demonstrated the greatest direct effect on overall productivity. All indirect paths (mediating effects) were also statistically significant. The results suggest that knowledge management, as a core organizational capability, constitutes a powerful lever for enhancing faculty academic productivity by simultaneously improving key organizational functions, including decision-making, innovation, process efficiency, and organizational learning. By presenting a multi-path causal model, this study provides a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms through which knowledge management operates in academic environments and underscores the necessity of systematically developing knowledge management alongside strengthening related organizational mechanisms to achieve superior performance.