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Knowledge management and emotional exhaustion as moderators in the relationship between role conflict and organizational performance: evidence from India

Satyanarayana Parayitam (Department of Management and Marketing, Charlton College of Business, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Dartmouth, Massachusetts, USA)
Syed Aktharsha Usman (PG and Research Department of Management Studies, Jamal Mohamed College, Tiruchirappalli, India)
Rajeshwaran Raja Namasivaayam (Department of Management, Jamal Institute of Management, Tiruchirappalli, India)
Mohamed Shaik Naina (Department of Administration, SAM Educational Institute, Tiruchirappalli, India)

Journal of Knowledge Management

ISSN: 1367-3270

Article publication date: 10 December 2020

Issue publication date: 30 July 2021

1348

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the importance of knowledge management as a moderator in the relationship between two of the burnout variables, namely, role ambiguity and work overload. In addition, the paper tests a conceptual model where emotional exhaustion is a moderator in the relationship between role ambiguity, work overload and performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a structured survey instrument, this paper gathered data from 692 respondents from the information technology industry in the southern part of India. The first psychometric properties of the instrument were tested and then hierarchical regression was used as a statistical technique for analyzing the data.

Findings

Results show that role conflict is positively related to role ambiguity and work overload, role ambiguity is negatively related to performance, work overload is positively related to performance, knowledge management moderates the relationship between role conflict and role ambiguity and role conflict and work overload. The hierarchical regression results also support that emotional exhaustion moderates the relationship between role ambiguity and performance and work overload and performance.

Research limitations/implications

As the present research is based on self-report measures, the limitations of social desirability bias and common method bias are inherent. However, this study attempts to minimize these limitations by following appropriate statistical techniques and procedures.

Practical implications

This study contributes to both practicing managers and the literature on conflict management. The study suggests that managers use knowledge management practices to mitigate the ill-effects of role conflict and enhance performance. This study also highlights the role of emotional exhaustion in organizations.

Originality/value

This study provides new insights about the importance of knowledge management practices and emotional exhaustion in the relationship between role conflict and performance. To the knowledge, the importance of knowledge management practices is underemphasized in conflict management research. The study also provides insights into the role of one of the burnout variables i.e. emotional exhaustion in its influence on performance. The implications of this relationship for organizational role theory and organizational learning theory and for management practice, are discussed.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Editor Manlio Del Giudice and four anonymous reviewers for their guidance and feedback throughout the review process. We also thank the Associate Editor for constructive suggestions that improved the quality of the manuscript.

Citation

Parayitam, S., Usman, S.A., Namasivaayam, R.R. and Naina, M.S. (2021), "Knowledge management and emotional exhaustion as moderators in the relationship between role conflict and organizational performance: evidence from India", Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 25 No. 6, pp. 1456-1485. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-03-2020-0184

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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