Organizational Learning Through Knowledge Sharing in Virtual Communities Thru Learner Readiness and Their Social Capital

Past scholars propose knowledge management (KM) frameworks, but few bare deployable KM strategies, particularly for the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) public sector. The GCC invests heavily in the KM infrastructure for its healthcare, banking, education, and now in the Ministry of Interior (MoI). A literature review revealed the need to cognize the effect of employees learning readiness (LR) and social capital (SC) on knowledge sharing (KS) in virtual communities. This study assesses these three constructs in a proposed model and tests the model using an online survey distributed to 400 Kingdom of Bahrain's (KoB)'s MoI employees. Multiple regression analysis revealed a fit proposed model of this study which articulates that organizational learning is possible thru VC KS when facilitated by LR and SC: equipping organizations to bank its social capital of employee resources in knowledge bases for future knowledge acquisition, and re-use. Theoretical and practical implications are also part of this chapter.