How Knowledge Sharing Influences Project Success in Knowledge‐Intensive Sectors: A Moderated‐Mediating Framework

ABSTRACT Achieving project success in knowledge‐intensive sectors is a significant problem in contemporary times, while emphasis on key aspects of organizational behavior attempts to mitigate this difficulty. This study aims to elucidate how knowledge worker productivity mediates the relationship between knowledge sharing and project success. In addition, it tries to identify whether knowledge worker ambidexterity moderates this indirect effect in the IT sector. The model is based on Nonaka's theory of knowledge creation and dynamic capabilities theory. Given the unknown population size of nearly 2000 IT organizations, convenience sampling is used. Responses are collected via self‐administered questionnaire from 350 knowledge workers in 16 major IT businesses in Pakistan. Data adequacy for factor analysis is confirmed using KMO and Bartlett's test. Findings confirm that knowledge sharing has a significant positive impact on project success. Moreover, knowledge worker productivity partially mediates the relationship. Furthermore, moderated mediation is confirmed. The results reveal that at higher levels of knowledge‐worker ambidexterity, the indirect effect of knowledge sharing on project success through knowledge‐worker productivity is lower compared to the indirect effect at lower knowledge‐worker ambidexterity. This study uniquely integrates the Nonaka's theory of knowledge creation with Dynamic Capabilities, offering novel theoretical synthesis. This distinctive integration expands Nonaka's process‐oriented SECI model into a performance‐oriented model by introducing critical human behavioral variables, that is, productivity and ambidexterity. Moreover, it positions ambidexterity as an essential trait for efficiently using knowledge assets in developing countries' IT industry and suggesting practical implications.