Knowledge Sharing and Innovation: An Empirical Study in Iraqi Private Higher Education Institutions

Knowledge and knowledge sharing are recognised as being important resources for competitive advantage, and key to enhancing the innovation of organisations. It is argued that the encouragement of knowledge-sharing cultures within learning environments such as universities, can increase the quality of education and can create opportunities for innovation. This research aims to examine the impact of sharing (donating and collecting) knowledge on product and process innovation. A total of 230 usable questionnaires were collected from private colleges in Iraq. Structural equation modelling with AMOS 20 confirmed the importance of knowledge sharing in developing innovation in higher education. The results revealed that collecting knowledge has a greater effect on product and process innovation than donating knowledge. Guidelines are developed for academics as well as leaders, and evidence is provided in support of the use of sharing knowledge in enhancing product and process innovation within higher education in developing countries generally and in Iraq in particular. The implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.