The Effects of Collaboration Culture on Knowledge Creation: A Study in Hospitals Affiliated to Qom University of Medical Sciences

Abstract

Background & Aims: Organizational culture and knowledge management affect all aspects of an organization. Thus, in this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of the components of Collaboration culture on knowledge creation in hospitals affiliated with Qom University of Medical Sciences in 2017. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional-analytical research was conducted on 570 employees of the hospitals affiliated with Qom University of Medical Sciences. The research tool was a researcher-made questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed through content validity and convergent validity, and its reliability was assessed by Cronbach’s alpha method and composite reliability. The data were analyzed using SPSS 20 and Lisrel 8.8 software employing exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling. Results: The means and standard deviations of Collaboration culture and knowledge creation were 3.071±1.301 and 3.28±1.11, respectively; their Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were 0.972 and 0.944; their composite reliability indices were obtained as 0.782 and 0.847, and the convergent validities of these domains were as 0.810 and 0.852, respectively. Exploratory factor analysis classified the constructs into the two sections of learning culture and knowledge creation, which were confirmed by fit indices. Conclusion: The results showed that the Collaboration culture component has a positive and meaningful relationship with the knowledge creation component. Therefore, hospital managers should notice the benefits of providing the necessary infrastructure for the implementation of knowledge management and holding workshops for employees to educate them on the fundamentals of cooperation culture and knowledge creation.