Affiliations 

  • 1 College of Graduate Studies, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia
  • 2 Health Management Department, Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
  • 3 Department of Medical Instrumentation Techniques Engineering, Al-Hussain University College, Karbala, Iraq
  • 4 Department of Medical Instrumentation Techniques Engineering, Dijlah University College, Baghdad, Iraq
  • 5 Department of Health Management, College of Public Health and Health Informatics, University of Ha'il, Ha'il, Saudi Arabia
  • 6 Department of Accounting, Southern Technical University, Basrah, Iraq
  • 7 Department of Managing Health Services and Hospitals, Faculty of Business Rabigh, College of Business (COB), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
  • 8 Nursing Department, Health Faculty, Riyadh Elm University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • 9 Vice Deanship for Development and Community Partnership, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia
PLoS One, 2023;18(1):e0278721.
PMID: 36656899 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278721

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Head nurses are vital in understanding and encouraging knowledge sharing among their followers. However, few empirical studies have highlighted their contribution to knowledge-sharing behaviour in Online Health Communities (OHCs). In addition, scant literature has examined the moderating role of knowledge self-efficacy in this regard.

PURPOSES: This study examines the moderating role of self-efficacy between the association of four selected individual factors of head nurses (i.e., Trust, Reciprocity, Reputation, and Ability to Share) and their knowledge-sharing behaviour in OHCs in Jordan.

METHOD: The data were obtained by using a self-reported survey from 283 head nurses in 22 private hospitals in Jordan. A moderation regression analysis using a structural equation modelling approach (i.e. Smart PLS-SEM, Version 3) was utilised to evaluate the study's measurement and structural model.

RESULTS: Knowledge self-efficacy moderates the relationship between the three individual factors (i.e., Trust, Reciprocity, and Reputation) and knowledge-sharing behaviours. However, self-efficacy did not moderate the relationship between the ability to share and knowledge-sharing behaviours.

IMPLICATIONS: This study contributes to understanding the moderating role of knowledge self-efficacy among head nurses in online healthcare communities. Moreover, this study provides guidelines for head nurses to become active members in knowledge sharing in OHCs. The findings of this study offer a basis for further research on knowledge sharing in the healthcare sector.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.