An integrated framework for tacit knowledge management in public-sector organizations: a PLS-SEM approach

Public-sector organizations face significant challenges in managing tacit knowledge – the experiential expertise that resides in employees and underpins innovation, competency, and service quality. However, integrated frameworks for capturing, transferring, and leveraging this knowledge in governmental contexts remain scarce. This study developed and empirically validated a comprehensive framework for tacit knowledge management that linked four organizational enablers (culture, leadership support, ICT infrastructure, and employee motivation) with four mediating processes (knowledge sharing, social interaction, trust building, and communities of practice) and three organizational outcomes (innovation capability, employee competency, and service quality). Survey data were collected from public employees at Thailand’s Office of National Water Resources and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings revealed that organizational culture was the strongest enabler of knowledge sharing among employees, while communities of practice emerged as the most influential pathway for translating tacit knowledge into organizational innovation. Almost all the hypothesized relationships were supported by the data, and the framework demonstrated strong explanatory power for innovation capability, employee competency, and service quality outcomes. This research contributes the first empirically validated, integrated framework for tacit knowledge management in public-sector contexts, extends established knowledge management theory to developing-country governmental settings, and offers practical guidance for managers and policymakers seeking to enhance innovation, employee development, and service delivery through systematic knowledge management interventions.