The mediating role of human resource improvement in the relationship between knowledge management and teachers' job performance

Jalali, Leila; Jafari, Mahtab

doi:10.22034/jmep.2022.351391.1129

The mediating role of human resource improvement in the relationship between knowledge management and teachers' job performance

Document Type : Original Article (Quantified)

Authors

leila jalali ¹

Mahtab jafari ²

¹ Master&amp;#039;s degree, Department of Business Administration, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

² Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Chalous Branch, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22034/jmep.2022.351391.1129

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to investigate the mediating role of human resource improvement in the relationship between knowledge management and the job performance of secondary school teachers in Karaj city. The current research is an applicable research in terms of its purpose, and a survey-correlation research in terms of research method. The statistical population of the research is 7690 secondary school teachers in Karaj city. Using the Tabaking formula, 200 people were selected as a sample from among the teachers by multi-stage cluster sampling method. To collect data, Velba & Jansen's human source training and improvement (2010), Lawson's knowledge management (2003), and Patterson's job performance (1990) questionnaires, which had acceptable validity and reliability, were used. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods including correlation coefficient, path analysis, and structural equation model. The results showed that there was a significant relationship between knowledge management and job performance (p≥0.05). There was a significant relationship between improving human resources and job performance (p≥0.05). There was a significant relationship between knowledge management and improving human resources (p≥0.05). Also, the results of the structural equation model showed that the human resource improvement variable had a mediating role in the impact of knowledge management on job performance (p≥0.05). In general, it can be concluded that the improvement and development of knowledge management and training and the improvement of human resources can directly lead to an increase in the professional performance of teachers.
Extended Abstract
Introduction
Job performance means knowledge and ability to perform specific tasks, which requires proficiency in the use of special techniques and tools, and practical competence in behavior and activity. Such functions are obtained through education, internship and experience. The distinctive feature of job performance is that it is possible to achieve the highest level of competence and expertise, because this performance is accurate, specific and has objective and measurable criteria (Saatchi, 2007; Savari et al, 2017). Kampbell (1999) considers job performance to be behavior or actions that include the organization's goals and determine its efficiency, which can be determined by the level of skills determinable by providing a specific action or a set of actions (Nam & Park, 2019). Job performance is influenced by various factors, including knowledge management and improvement of human resources. Knowledge management is as a life cycle that includes four elements (Salami & Mohseni, 2019). On the other hand, the most important feature of today's organizations is change. Koper (2004) in the definition of human resource improvement writes: Human resource improvement is related to preparation for learning, development and training opportunities in order to improve individual and group performance and organizational improvement (Koper, 2004; Bigdali et al, 2018). ).
According to the mentioned materials, the main problem of the research is: what is the relationship between knowledge management and teachers' job performance with the mediating role of improving human resources?
Theoretical foundations
Knowledge management is a systematic and coherent process that uses a suitable combination of information technologies and human interaction to identify, manage and share the organization's information assets.
Job performance includes an area of organizational behavior that is related to people's jobs, and is in line with the achievement of the organization's goals. Job performance definitions mainly emphasize behavior compared to results (Jalal Zadeh & Nasiriyan, 2020).
Improvement refers to activities through which employees keep pace with the changes and growth of the organization. In organizational literature, there is a small difference between training and improvement.
Hoseini (2021) investigated the impact of flexibility of human resources on organizational innovation and job performance of the employees of Birjand Education Department. The results of the research showed that the flexibility of human resources has an effect on the organizational innovation of employees. Employees' skills and behavioral flexibility do not affect the organizational innovation of employees. The flexibility of human resource activities has an effect on the organizational innovation of employees. The flexibility of human resources affects the job performance of employees. Employees' skills, behavioral flexibility and flexibility of human resource activities do not affect the job performance of employees.
Por Rashidi (2021) investigated the mediating role of knowledge management and organizational learning in the impact of human resources development activities on employee innovation (case study of employees of Shahid Bahonar University, Kerman). The results showed that human resource development activities have a positive and significant effect on knowledge management. Human resources development activities have a positive and significant effect on the organizational learning of employees. Organizational learning of employees has a positive and significant effect on their innovation. Organizational learning of employees has a positive and significant effect on their innovation. Human resource development activities have a positive and meaningful effect on employee development. Finally, knowledge management and organizational learning play a mediating role in influencing human resource development activities on employee innovation.

Research Methodology
The current research is applicable in terms of its purpose, and is a descriptive research in terms of the research method of the correlative-survey type and based on structural equation modeling. The statistical population of the research is 7,690 secondary school teachers in Karaj city, among which 200 people were selected as a sample by using the smoking formula with a multi-stage cluster sampling method. The questionnaire of Patreson (1990) was used in order to collect data related to the job performance variable, and the questionnaire of Lavson (2003) for the knowledge management variable, and the questionnaire of Velba & Jansen (2010) for the human resources improvement variable were used.
Research Findings
In order to investigate the hypothesis of the research, the structural equation modeling method of structural equation modeling with the help of spss software was used, and then statistical liserel software was used to measure the effects of the independent and mediator variables with the dependent variable, and the results were as follows: the results of the first sub-hypothesis showed that based on the findings of inferential statistics, the coefficient of knowledge management impact on job performance is estimated at 0.46. Considering that the value of the significant number (t-value) is equal to 6.09 and more than 1.96; it means that knowledge management has a positive and significant effect on performance. The results of the second sub-hypothesis showed that based on the findings of descriptive statistics, the mean of the variable of job performance is equal to 3.48 out of 5, and its standard deviation is 0.94, which indicates that the teachers' job performance level is higher than the average. Based on the findings of inferential statistics, the impact factor of improving human resources on job performance is estimated at 0.31. Considering that the value of the significant number (t-value) equal to 4.16 is greater than the absolute value of 1.96; it means that improving human resources has a positive and significant effect on job performance. The results of the third sub-hypothesis showed that based on the findings of descriptive statistics, the mean of human resource improvement variable is equal to 3.69 out of 5 and its standard deviation is 0.69, which can be said that the teachers are average to high in terms of human resource improvement. Based on the findings of inferential statistics, the impact coefficient of knowledge management and improvement of human resources is estimated at 0.51. Considering that the value of the significant number (t-value) equal to 6.07 is greater than the absolute value of 1.96; that is, knowledge management has a positive and significant effect on the improvement of human resources. The results of the main hypothesis showed that the effect of the knowledge management variable on the improvement of human resources was accepted with a path coefficient of 0.51 and a t-statistic value of 6.07. Also, the effect of improving human resources on job performance was confirmed with a path coefficient of 0.31 and a t-statistic value of 4.16. On the other hand, considering that the absolute value of the Sobel statistic is equal to 4.208 and is greater than 1.96, and the significance level of the test (0.00) is lower than the error level of 0.05, it can be found at the confidence level of 95 percentage of mediating effect of human resource improvement in the relationship between knowledge management and job performance confirmed once again. Also, the value of the direct effect of knowledge management on job performance is equal to 0.46, the indirect effect of knowledge management on job performance is 0.158, and the total effect of knowledge management on job performance is estimated to be 0.618.

Conclusion and Discussion
The current research was conducted with the aim of mediating role of improving human resources in the relationship between knowledge management and teachers' job performance. The results of this research are consistent with the results of Morshedi Tonekaboni (2020); Yousefli & Efrai (2020); Salami & Mohseni (2019); Ghasemi-nejad Raini & Azari (2018); the application of knowledge management and training and improvement of human resources by providing creating conditions for more productivity of human capital, creating job feedback, more efficient and effective learning, satisfaction of applicants, stimulating motivation as well as creativity and innovation, creates the field of desire and motivation to work and career advancement, and ultimately leads to improvement.
According to the current research, it is suggested to pay special attention to training and improving the knowledge of employees and in this regard, design and implement training courses based on needs assessment by experts and establish the balance between the personal needs of teachers and the needs of the organization, the redesign of assessment and learning mechanisms, and the institutionalization of evaluation culture, reuse of workshop equipment and tools, and training and internship while doing work should be considered.

Keywords

improving human resources

knowledge management

job performance

applying knowledge

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