Enhancing knowledge sharing among knowledge workers in the international higher education context: a moderating effect of grit

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are considered pivotal for knowledge sharing activities. Knowledge workers employed by HEIs not only educate future experts, but also contribute to the overall societal prosperity by actively sharing knowledge through the international projects their affiliations chose to participate in. Since successful project’s realisation highly depends on sharing both explicit and tacit knowledge among knowledge workers, it is wise to explore their personal abilities which shape their attitudes towards knowledge sharing. Preliminary analysis identified openness, trust and mentoring as important abilities in knowledge sharing, while grit proved its importance as a moderator. To explore these hypotheses, data was collected by knowledge workers employed in thirteen HEIs active in nine CEEPUS (Central European Exchange Program for University Studies) networks. The study used cross-sectional data collected from a sample of 208 staff members of CEEPUS HEIs. A moderated mediation model was tested to analyse the impact of knowledge workers' abilities on knowledge sharing.The results confirmed openness and mentoring facilitate sharing of both explicit and tacit knowledge, while grit supports only tacit knowledge sharing. As tacit knowledge is more difficult to share, gritty individuals may achieve better results. Hence HR experts should develop practices to improve grit among knowledge workers.This study is one of the few to explore a combination of specific personal abilities and grit in improving knowledge sharing among knowledge workers in the international surrounding. Given the rigour applied in project’s evaluation, these findings can help HEIs to train and select knowledge workers according to their aptitude to share knowledge.