A field study on determining the effects of organizational climate in terms of social interaction on knowledge management at health organizations

Abstract

1.IntroductionThe concept of knowledge management is defined in the literature in different ways by various authors. The reason for this is that the concept is young and theories about the concept are still in the phase of development. However, it can be observed that among the definitions of knowledge management there is a consensus on describing it as a field of implementation directed at using knowledge in order to increase the efficiency of a business as well as being formed of certain processes. According to Skyrme [1999], who has provided one of the most general definitions of knowledge management, it is the open and systematic management of knowledge, which is of vital importance for a business, and the creation, organization, dissemination, application and processing of this knowledge in accordance with the business targets. The knowledge-based theory of the firm posits knowledge as the primary determinant of sustainable organizational growth and competitive advantage. Professionals have varied and important roles in the creation, harvesting, storage and dissemination of organizational knowledge [Lin & Fan 2011; Witherspoon et al. 2013].In our contemporary unstable and competitive environment, knowledge is usually considered as the fundamental source of success for a business. Successful businesses have to continuously integrate knowledge assets into their activities and manage them in order to achieve their targets and ensure the best performance. To achieve targets, it is not enough to just acquire or produce knowledge; at the same time the dissemination of this knowledge through the whole of the organization and be available for everyone's use is also a requirement.In the literature, certain factors which have effects on knowledge management performance are mentioned. These factors are determined as culture, leadership, technology and measurement. Although the effects of different factors have been tried to be researched in different studies on knowledge management, issues of organizational climate and social interaction have not been much discussed. Organizational climate is a psychological process which consists of organization policies, implementations and procedures and mediates the relations among attituded and behaviors regarding works perceived as objective series [Schneider 2009] and it is constituted by the individual perceptions of employees. The more positive the employees' perceptions regarding the workplace the higher their performances will be in knowledge management as in all other operations. Social interaction is communication in which the participants of the interpersonal communication have certain (face-to-face) proximity and there is mutual verbal or non-verbal messaging [Dokmen 2003]. Social interaction expresses the interaction of organization members with each other in terms of trust, communication and coordination. Previous studies have recognized the importance of social interaction in affecting the formation knowledge management behavior among members.The main purpose of the study is to be able to determine the effects of organizational climate in knowledge management in terms of social interaction. In the subsequent flow of the article organizational climate, knowledge management, social interaction will be examined theoretically and methods, findings, discussions and conclusions sections will be given respectively.2.Literature reviewOrganizational climate is a psychological process which consist of organization policies, implementations and procedures and mediates the relations among approaches and behaviors regarding works perceived as an objective series [Schneider 2009]. Organizational climate is a name given to an organization's psychological environment. In other words, it can be defined as the aura one feels while visiting a business. Organizational climate is a product of organizational culture; it affects employees psychologically and directs human relations Organizational climate is described where employees perceive that they are treated as impersonal objects, are exploited by management, and feel significant lack of confidence. …