Kritsakorn Jiraphanumes

Type of the article: Research Article

In emerging digital economies, knowledge hiding can disrupt organizational knowledge flows that support innovation, yet empirical evidence on how artificial intelligence adoption shapes these effects remains limited. This study examines how knowledge hiding influences knowledge integration capability and innovation climate in digital firms and tests the moderating role of artificial intelligence adoption. Data were collected in May 2025 through a questionnaire survey of 145 firms operating in Thailand’s New S-Curve digital sectors. Respondents included senior executives, middle managers, and knowledge management specialists involved in artificial intelligence implementation, knowledge management, and innovation activities. A total of 426 responses were obtained and aggregated to the firm level. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Results show that knowledge hiding significantly reduces knowledge integration capability (β = −0.503, p < 0.001) and innovation climate (β = −0.339, p < 0.001), while knowledge integration capability positively affects innovation climate (β = 0.337, p < 0.001). Artificial intelligence adoption weakens the negative effects of knowledge hiding on knowledge integration capability (interaction β = 0. 359, p < 0.001) and innovation climate (interaction β = 0. 500, p < 0.001), indicating a buffering mechanism through improved access to organizational knowledge. These findings suggest that digital firms should address knowledge hiding while strengthening knowledge integration practices and implementing artificial intelligence in ways that complement collaborative knowledge processes.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
This study examines how 4Cs capabilities, namely critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration, contribute to incremental innovation through the mediating role of knowledge co-creation in resource-constrained manufacturing SMEs. Data were collected from 179 key informants, including owners, executives, engineers, and technicians, targeting manufacturing SMEs in Thailand between May and June 2025 using a structured questionnaire survey. These respondents were selected because they are directly involved in operational and innovation-related activities in their firms. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that all four 4Cs capabilities have statistically significant positive effects on incremental innovation: critical thinking (β = 0.194, p < 0.01), creativity (β = 0.255, p < 0.01), communication (β = 0.183, p < 0.05), and collaboration (β = 0.157, p < 0.01). All four capabilities also positively influence knowledge co-creation, which in turn significantly affects incremental innovation (β = 0.257, p < 0.01). The findings further indicate partial mediation, suggesting that learning-oriented capabilities contribute to innovation both directly and through knowledge co-creation. These findings indicate that incremental innovation in resource-constrained manufacturing SMEs depends not only on the presence of learning-oriented capabilities but also on how these capabilities are integrated through knowledge sharing, integration, and application processes. Knowledge co-creation therefore functions as a central mechanism through which existing capabilities are translated into innovation outcomes.

Acknowledgment
This research was supported by Prince of Songkla University (Grant No. LAM6802035S).