Empowered or engaged employees? A fuzzy set analysis on knowledge transfer professionals. Issue 5 (11th November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cucino, Valentina; Del Sarto, Nicola; Di Minin, Alberto; Piccaluga, Andrea
• Is Part Of: Journal of knowledge management. Volume 25:Issue 5(2021)
• Page Start: 1081
• Page End: 1104
• Publication Date: 2020-11-11
• Subjects: fsQCA -- Knowledge transfer offices -- Knowledge transfer professionals -- Perceived empowerment -- Perceived engagement; Knowledge management -- Periodicals; 658.4
• DOI: 10.1108/JKM-05-2020-0388
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1367-3270

Abstract

Abstract : Purpose: This paper combines the literature on knowledge transfer and that on organizational behavior to analyze how perceived empowerment and perceived engagement affect knowledge transfer offices' (KTOs') performance, measured in terms of the number of license agreements. Design/methodology/approach: The authors measured the cognitions which constitute perceived empowerment and perceived engagement through a survey sent to Italian KTOs' professionals. The authors performed "fuzzy set qualitative analysis" to investigate if this cognition, together or in isolation, may influence KTOs' management performance, measured by the number of license agreements. Findings: The results highlight the role of individual cognitions in influencing KTOs' performance. Furthermore, an important finding from the analysis of the main configurations is that the co-presence of perceived engagement and perceived empowerment leads to more license agreements only in the presence of specific individual cognitions. More precisely, the level of organizational citizenship behavior, the degree to which an individual influences results at work (degree of impact) and the value of a work goal (degree of meaning) are the cognitions which lead to a higher number of license agreements. Originality/value: Despite the growing interest in the investigation of the determinants of KTOs' performance, a relevant research gap still concerns the explanation of KTOs' performance considering individual cognitions such as attitudes, norms, perceived behavioral control and intentions. This study looks at the combined effect of the individual cognition of perceived engagement and perceived empowerment on KTOs' performances.