Unlocking smart workplace practices: how knowledge sharing drives green learning and employee voice using a dual SEM-NCA approach

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the mechanism by which knowledge sharing (KS) promotes green learning (GL) and green employee voice (GV) in health-care organizations with the mediation of smart workplace practices (SWP). The study is driven by the critical need to understand the potential of digital transformation to contribute to the sustainability of resource-constrained health-care systems, an under-researched issue in emerging economy contexts. To address this gap, the research integrates organizational learning theory, social exchange theory and institutional theory, and uses a dual-method approach [partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and necessary condition analysis (NCA)] to capture both sufficiency and necessity logics of green behavioral change. Design/methodology/approach A positivist, quantitative design was adopted using survey data from 1,954 health-care professionals in private hospitals in Baghdad, Iraq. The proposed model was tested using PLS-SEM to assess sufficiency-based relationships and NCA to identify essential thresholds for behavioral outcomes. Findings Results show that KS is both a significant predictor and a necessary condition for GL and employee voice. SWP directly promote these green behaviors and also mediate the impact of KS, indicating their enabling role in the digital sustainability transition. NCA further reveals that unless a minimum level of KS is reached, green outcomes cannot materialize – highlighting critical bottlenecks for managerial intervention. Originality/value This study advances innovation science by presenting a novel, theory-driven model that connects knowledge management, digital workplace innovation and environmental sustainability. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to apply a PLS-SEM-NCA integration in this context, offering actionable insights for health-care and public sector leaders seeking to cultivate green cultures through smart systems and knowledge-driven practices.