Organizational Trust, Sharing Culture, and Knowledge Management Capability in Vietnamese Commercial Banks

Abstract

Knowledge management capability has become increasingly important in knowledge-intensive industries, particularly within banking environments characterized by rapid digital transformation and increasing competitive pressure. Although commercial banks continue investing substantially in technological systems and digital infrastructure, many organizations still experience difficulties encouraging employees to exchange organizational knowledge effectively. This study investigates the relationships among organizational trust, sharing culture, knowledge-sharing behavior, and knowledge management capability in Vietnamese commercial banks. The study integrates Social Exchange Theory, the Knowledge-Based View, and Organizational Culture Theory to explain how trust-based organizational environments strengthen knowledge management capability through sharing culture and employee knowledge-sharing behavior. A quantitative research approach was employed using survey data collected from 319 employees working in Vietnamese commercial banks. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was applied to test the proposed hypotheses and mediation effects. The findings reveal that organizational trust positively influences sharing culture, while sharing culture significantly enhances knowledge-sharing behavior. Knowledge-sharing behavior also positively affects knowledge management capability. Furthermore, sharing culture significantly mediates the relationship between organizational trust and knowledge-sharing behavior. The findings suggest that trust-based organizational environments facilitate collaborative norms encouraging employees to exchange expertise, experiences, and organizational knowledge. The study contributes to the literature by integrating trust, organizational culture, and behavioral perspectives into knowledge management research. The findings also provide important managerial implications for strengthening collaborative communication and knowledge-sharing culture within commercial banks.