Knowledge Properties and Social Capital in Knowledge Creation Performance in Taiwan's Manufacturing and Service Industries

Abstract

This article presents and empirically examines a research model to investigate knowledge creation performance (KCP). The model postulates knowledge property (tacitness and complexity) and social capital (structural, relational, and cognitive capitals) as the main predictors of KCP. The moderation (interaction) effect of goal-predefined strategy (GPS) is also examined. Based on 209 valid samples collected from the manufacturing and service industries in Taiwan, the authors show that both knowledge property and social capital are significantly associated with KCP. GPS significantly enhances the effect of knowledge property on KCP and significantly weakens the effect of social capital on KCP. The effect of tacitness becomes insignificant when GPS is included, due to the limitations in thinking space that the strategy entails. Moreover, among social capitals, GPS maintains the effect of cognitive social capital on KCP but decreases the influence of both structural and relational social capital. Discussion and implications are also addressed.