Fostering knowledge management to enhance innovative work behaviour in public healthcare organizations

Innovative work behaviour (IWB) may be crucial to enable middle managers of public healthcare organizations (PHOs) to effectively fulfil their hybrid role of doctor-managers. However, psychological and cognitive boundaries associated with role hybridization can inhibit IWB. To overcome these criticalities, knowledge should be dynamically managed within PHOs. Grounded in the social identity theory, the present study aimed to explore the development of knowledge transfer at the individual-level of analysis by investigating the influence of doctor-managers’ organizational identification (OI) on their IWB, through the indirect effect of satisfaction with the managerial role. A survey was administered to doctor-managers working in Italian PHOs. A linear regression analysis was performed to test the research design. The findings demonstrated that doctor-managers’ OI address a greater satisfaction with the managerial role; in turn, this latter positively influences doctormanagers’ IWB. This study provides new insights into the individual determinants of IWB in knowledge-intensive public organizations like PHOs. In doing so, it contributes to the ongoing discussion on the pivotal role of knowledge transfer dynamics as a precursor of IWB by unleashing the potential of OI. PHOs’ top management should regulate doctor-managers’ identity by providing an environment fostering the transfer of knowledge supporting them in performing their hybrid role. This may be achieved through managerial practices that facilitate vertical and horizontal integration and knowledge exchange.