Effective leadership styles influence on knowledge sharing behaviour among employees of SME’s in Nigeria

Abstract

Earlier researchers acknowledge the significance of knowledge sharing among employees in improving their responsiveness when dealing with unpredicted situations. Effective leadership styles have been known to impact employee knowledge-sharing behaviour within an organisation positively. The role of influential leaders in knowledge sharing is accomplished through enhanced social networks and technology. However, preliminary research pointed to a lack of clear conclusions from recently published studies on the impact of effective leadership styles on knowledge-sharing behaviour among employees. The present study addressed this problem through a structured literature review. The review demonstrated that knowledge managers incorporate incentives and rewards systems with their leadership styles to influence knowledge sharing behaviour among employees positively. There was ample evidence that rational, innovative, stability and participatory organisational cultures combined with supportive and command leadership enhance employee intention for knowledge sharing in the organisation. The analysis revealed that transformational, transactional, and mentor leadership styles enhance employees’ knowledge sharing behaviour. Overall, it was resolved that the relationship between knowledge sharing behaviour among employees and leadership styles is mediated by the ability of the organisation to priorities employee development.