Relationship between Knowledge Management and Managerial Skills: The Role of Creative Thinking

Abstract

Knowledge management is one of the most critical issues  the managers of organizations, especially educational organizations, must consider. It is aimed at finding new viewpoints about learning, creating knowledge, and developing internal and external competences. This paper investigates the relationship between management skills and knowledge management mediated by creative thinking. The analysis is based on a survey of several hundred managers and teachers at high schools in Isfahan. The research employs a step-by-step regression analysis and structural equations modeling.

Based on the results of the calculations, a significant correlation was established between the three main variables of the study: management skills, knowledge management, and creative thinking. Thus, the hypothesis concerning a close relationship between these factors are confirmed. The quality of knowledge management is affected primarily by the level of human skills, as well as by enforcement as a dimension of creative thinking. The findings suggest the need for establishing an organizational environment that fosters the development of knowledge management skills and removes barriers impeding this process.