The Effect of Managers’ Soft Governance on Employees’ Knowledge Sharing in Government Organizations of Guilan Province: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Abstract

The present study aimed to examine the effect of managers’ soft governance on employees’ knowledge sharing in government organizations of Guilan Province using a structural equation modeling approach. In terms of purpose, the study was developmental, and in terms of methodology, it was descriptive-analytical. The statistical population consisted of managers and employees of government organizations in Guilan Province, and the sample size was determined as 382 participants using Cochran’s formula. Convenience non-probability sampling was employed, and data were collected using a questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. The findings indicated that soft governance had a direct and significant effect on knowledge sharing, with a path coefficient of 0.857. In addition, the dimensions of soft governance, including perceived support (0.741), organizational justice (0.632), and participation (0.613), made the greatest contributions to explaining the variance in knowledge sharing. The results indicate that strengthening the soft dimensions of governance can provide an appropriate foundation for facilitating knowledge-sharing processes in government organizations.