The Effect of Knowledge Sharing on Employee Performance: Evidence from Sri Lanka’s Manufacturing Sector

In the recent past, knowledge management has become a critical topic in organizational psychology, as effectively sharing intellectual capital has become a major challenge for firms seeking a competitive edge. Even though it is frequently discussed in general terms, many studies in this area have not explored the specific interplay of organizational culture and technology within the manufacturing sector of developing economies. The current study goes beyond general management theory by investigating the potential impact of four key motivational factors trust, communication, information systems, and reward mechanisms on “employee job performance.” Data were collected from 377 manufacturing employees across Sri Lanka’s Western Province regarding their knowledge-sharing behaviors and their subsequent impact on productivity and decision-making. The Correlation and regression analysis confirmed that all four motivational factors significantly and positively influence individual job performance. Specifically, the findings suggest that trust among coworkers and robust information systems serve as the most critical antecedents to effective knowledge exchange. The results of this study also highlight that a structured reward scheme is essential for sustaining long-term knowledge-sharing behaviors in a high-demand manufacturing environment. Practical implications of these findings for human resource policies are discussed, providing actionable guidance for managers to enhance workforce effectiveness through targeted cultural and technological interventions.