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Social skills as a moderator between R&D personnel’s knowledge sharing and job performance

Yang-Joong Yun (Department of Socio-Environmental Studies, Fukuoka Institute of Technology, Fukuoka, Japan)
Kyoung-Joo Lee (College of Social Science, Gachon University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea)

Journal of Managerial Psychology

ISSN: 0268-3946

Article publication date: 24 August 2017

Issue publication date: 18 September 2017

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Abstract

Purpose

Research and development (R&D) personnel are an organization’s ultimate source of creative knowledge. Thus, their job performance ensures an organization’s innovative capability. Focusing on the process nature of creativity and innovation in organizations, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the influence of R&D personnel’s active knowledge sharing on their job performance and highlight the significance of social skills by examining their moderation effect.

Design/methodology/approach

This study conducted a survey of 252 R&D personnel in 60 R&D organizations in large South Korean firms. Data reliability and validity were confirmed, and regression analysis was performed to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The authors found that R&D personnel’s knowledge sharing has a significant effect on their job performance. Furthermore, social skills significantly moderate the relationship between knowledge sharing and job performance.

Originality/value

This study addresses the existing literature’s limited understanding of the process nature of creativity and innovation by examining knowledge sharing as a personal engagement in the innovation process, which has a positive effect on job performance. The study also casts new light on the importance of social skills in fortifying personal engagement in the innovation process. The overall results will prove valuable in the selection of effective R&D personnel and the design of competency development programs for R&D organizations.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI (Grant Number 24730348). The authors also appreciate the constructive comments offered by anonymous reviewers and the kind considerations and comments of Professor Zinta Byrne.

Citation

Yun, Y.-J. and Lee, K.-J. (2017), "Social skills as a moderator between R&D personnel’s knowledge sharing and job performance", Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 32 No. 5, pp. 387-400. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMP-05-2016-0156

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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