Sustainable Talent Management as a Driver of Competitive Advantage Via a Learning Organization: A Causal Model of Knowledge Transfer

Abstract

Purpose:  The purpose of this study is to empirically investigate the predictors of knowledge sharing between expatriates and nationals as a form of workplace learning.  It highlights the need for incorporating the simultaneous effects of sender, receiver and organizational characteristics on knowledge transfer dyads and, ultimately, on job performance. In international labor markets where a large proportion of the managers are expatriates, this study introduces a modern approach to evaluating knowledge transfer in the development of sustainable talent management for national succession planning.

Design/methodology/approach:  A quasi-experimental research design was conducted and surveys were collected from 252 expatriate and 198 national managers from 9 organizations in Abu Dhabi.  Between group analyses involved paired t tests and a regression analysis of the standardized beta coefficients between groups.

Findings:  The key antecedents of knowledge transfer were sender and receiver characteristics, which included motivation, ability, and dyad interactions.  The results show that the higher the expatriate and national evaluate the other’s ability, the higher the degree of knowledge transfer.  The findings reveal that although both formal and informal interactions are important, informal interactions between genders in both the national and expatriate samples are significantly lower than formal interactions.  Lastly, the study revealed that knowledge transfer is positively related to employee annual performance ratings.