Explaining the Effect of Digital Leadership on Sustainable Knowledge Management: Examining the Mediating Role of Knowledge Sharing

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Knowledge and Information Science, Persian Gulf University, Bushehr, Iran

Abstract
Porpuse: This study examines the effect of digital leadership on sustainable knowledge management, with the mediating role of knowledge sharing in knowledge-based companies.
Method: This applied research employed a quantitative, descriptive-correlational design to examine the relationship between digital leadership and sustainable knowledge management, with a focus on the mediating role of knowledge sharing. The statistical population consisted of 121 companies and technology-based units located in the Science and Technology Park of the University of Tabriz, comprising 312 individuals. Based on Cochran’s formula, a sample of 173 participants was selected. Data were collected from October to December 2025 using standardized questionnaires measuring knowledge sharing, digital leadership, and sustainable knowledge management. The validity of the instruments was assessed through convergent and discriminant validity, while their reliability was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha.
Findings: The results showed that digital leadership had a positive and significant effect on sustainable knowledge management. Digital leadership also had a positive and significant effect on knowledge sharing, while knowledge sharing had a positive and significant effect on sustainable knowledge management. Furthermore, the indirect effect of digital leadership on sustainable knowledge management through knowledge sharing was positive and significant, confirming the mediating role of knowledge sharing in this relationship.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that digital leadership contributes to sustainable knowledge management not only through direct managerial actions and decisions but also by creating favorable conditions for interaction, knowledge exchange, and knowledge flow among employees. From this perspective, in knowledge-based companies, the effectiveness of digital leadership in maintaining and developing organizational knowledge sustainably depends on simultaneously providing appropriate conditions and mechanisms for knowledge sharing.

Keywords


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