The synergy of organizational justice, knowledge sharing and innovative work behavior among university lecturers

In knowledge-intensive university settings, innovative work behavior (IWB) is essential for sustaining competitive advantage. This study investigates how six dimensions of organizational justice influence knowledge sharing (KS) and, subsequently, IWB among faculty members at Chinese universities, while also examining the moderating roles of transformational leadership and organizational learning culture. Employing purposive online sampling, data were collected from 778 faculty members and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (SmartPLS 4.0.9.3). The results confirm that all six justice dimensions significantly predict KS, with informational justice (β = 0.263) and spatial justice (β = 0.220) demonstrating the strongest effects. Furthermore, KS fully mediates the relationship between organizational justice and IWB. Regarding moderation, learning culture significantly strengthens the KS-IWB relationship (β = 0.117), whereas transformational leadership exhibits no significant moderating effect. Theoretically, this study extends the justice-innovation literature by incorporating temporal and spatial justice dimensions within a collectivist academic context. Practically, the findings underscore the importance of implementing targeted equitable practices, such as transparent information disclosure and fair resource allocation. Additionally, fostering a robust learning culture is crucial to promote collaborative innovation in higher education.