Changing in Organizational Structure

Journal of Business Research 63 (2010) 763–771

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Journal of Business Research

Linking organizational culture, structure, strategy, and organizational effectiveness: Mediating role of knowledge management
Wei Zheng a,⁎, Baiyin Yang b,1,2, Gary N. McLean c,3 a Human Resource Development, Department of Counseling, Adult and Higher Education, Northern Illinois University, Gabel Hall 201E, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115, United States Department of Human Resources and Organizational Behavior, Tsinghua University, Mailing Address: Haidian District, Beijing, 100087 China c Department of Work and Human Resource Education, Texas A&M University, United States b a r t i c l e

i n f o

a b s t r a c t
Practices of knowledge management are context-specific and they can influence organizational effectiveness. This study examines the possible mediating role of knowledge management in the relationship between organizational culture, structure, strategy, and organizational effectiveness. A survey was conducted of 301 organizations. The results suggest that knowledge management fully mediates the impact of organizational culture on organizational effectiveness, and partially mediates the impact of organizational structure and strategy on organizational effectiveness. The findings carry theoretical implications for knowledge management literature as they extend the scope of research on knowledge management from examining a set of independent management practices to examining a system-wide mechanism that connects internal resources and competitive advantage. © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Article history: Received 1 February 2008 Received in revised form 1 March 2009 Accepted 1 June 2009 Keywords: Knowledge management Organizational culture Organizational structure Organizational strategy Organizational effectiveness

The internal characteristics of the organization make up critical sources

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