The main goal of this study is to assess the moderating role of digital leadership capabilities (DLC) in improving the overall performance of telecom companies through their organisational knowledge capabilities. The author builds a conceptual model with six hypotheses and tests them with data collected through an electronic questionnaire. The data is analysed using WarpPLS 8.0 software as an application of the structural equation modelling technique. The sample size included 528 participants. The study revealed that individual knowledge capability (IKC) does not significantly affect organisational performance (PR). Also, the results reveal that managerial knowledge capability (MKC) and organisational collaborative capability (OCC) have a positive but weak impact on the performance of telecom companies (PR). However, it was clear that individual knowledge capability (IKC) and organisational collaborative capability (OCC) do not affect organisational performance (PR) through the moderator, digital leadership capabilities (DLC). On the other hand, it was also evident that managerial knowledge capabilities (MKC) significantly negatively affect the performance of telecom companies (PR) through the moderator role of digital leadership capabilities (DLC). The author recommends that telecom companies adopt knowledge-based practices to ensure enduring high performance. He also suggests creating a knowledge management department to foster a culture of creativity and cooperation across departments, which is essential to establishing a work environment that promotes continuous learning and development. Findings may help telecom sector CEOs boost the company’s performance value. The research highlights the importance of fostering appropriate knowledge pillars and building digital leaders to shift telecom companies to a new successful stage. These findings offer tangible benefits that can be directly applied in the telecom industry, making the research highly relevant and valuable.

Agostini, L., Galati, F., & Gastaldi, L. (2019). The digitalization of the innovation process. European Journal of Innovation Management, 23(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1108/ejim-11-2019-0330

Alavi, M., & Leidner, D. E. (2001). Review: Knowledge Management and Knowledge Management Systems: Conceptual Foundations and Research Issues. MIS Quarterly, 25(1), 107. https://doi.org/10.2307/3250961

AL-Hakim, L. A., & Shahizan, H. (2011). The Role of Middle Managers in Knowledge Management Implementation for Innovation Enhancement. International Journal of Innovation, Management and Technology, 2(1).

Alkhaldi, F. M., Hammami, S. M., Kasem, S., et al. (2017). Enterprise System as Business Intelligence and Knowledge Capabilities for Enhancing Applications and Practices of IT Governance. International Journal of Organizational and Collective Intelligence, 7(2), 63–77. https://doi.org/10.4018/ijoci.2017040105

Al-Mashraie, M., Chung, S. H., & Jeon, H. W. (2020). Customer switching behavior analysis in the telecommunication industry via push-pull-mooring framework: A machine learning approach. Computers & Industrial Engineering, 144, 106476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cie.2020.106476

Andriushchenko, K., Buriachenko, A., Rozhko, O., et al. (2020). Peculiarities of sustainable development of enterprises in the context of digital transformation. Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, 7(3). https://doi.org/10.9770/jesi.2020.7.3

Araujo, L. M. Priadana, S., Paramarta, V., et al. (2021). Digital leadership in business organizations. International Journal of Educational Administration, Management, and Leadership, 5–16. https://doi.org/10.51629/ijeamal.v2i1.18

Armistead, C., & Meakins, M. (2002). A Framework for Practising Knowledge Management. Long Range Planning, 49-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0024-6301(02)00017-1

Azeem, M., Ahmed, M., Haider, S., et al. (2021). Expanding competitive advantage through organizational culture, knowledge sharing and organizational innovation. Technology in Society, 66, 101635. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101635

Bayraktar, C. A., Hancerliogullari, G., Cetinguc, B., et al. (2016). Competitive strategies, innovation, and firm performance: an empirical study in a developing economy environment. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 29(1), 38–52. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537325.2016.1194973

Beamish, P. W., & Chakravarty, D. (2021). Using the Resource-Based View in Multinational Enterprise Research. Journal of Management, 47(7), 1861–1877. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206321995575

Becerra-Fernandez, I., Sabherwal, R., & Kumi, R. (2023). Knowledge Management: Systems and Processes in the AI Era. Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003364375

Blichfeldt, H., & Faullant, R. (2021). Performance effects of digital technology adoption and product & service innovation—A process-industry perspective. Technovation, 105, 102275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2021.102275

Brewster, C., Ciravegna, F., & Yorick, W. (1999). Knowledge Acquisition for Knowledge Management: Position Paper. In: Proceeding of the IJCAI-2001 Workshop on Ontology Learning CEUR-WS.org.

Bruce, W., & Zaiyong, T. (2006). IT—Enabled strategic management, Increasing returns for the organization. Hershey London Melbourne Singapore: IDEA Group.

Büyükbeşe, T., Dikbaş, T., Klein, M., et al. (2022). A study on digital leadership scale (DLS) development. Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 19(2), 740–760. https://doi.org/10.33437/ksusbd.1135540

Cantillo, N. J. G. (2020). Scrum, a quantitative analysis of functional Versus cross-functional teams in digital companies in Thailand. Bangkok University.

Chahal, H., Gupta, M., Bhan, N., et al. (2020). Operations management research grounded in the resource-based view: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Production Economics, 230, 107805. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2020.107805

Chen, H., Li, L., & Chen, Y. (2020). Explore success factors that impact artificial intelligence adoption on telecom industry in China. Journal of Management Analytics, 8(1), 36–68. https://doi.org/10.1080/23270012.2020.1852895

Choi, L. & Lee, H. (2003). Knowledge Management Enablers, Processes, and Organizational Performance: An Integrative View and Empirical Examination. Journal of Management Information Systems, 20(1), 179–228. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421222.2003.11045756

Claassen, K., Anjos, D. R., Kettschau, J., et al. (2021). How to evaluate digital leadership: a cross-sectional study. Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-021-00335-x

Cohen, J. (2013). Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203771587

Daradkeh, M. (2023). Exploring the influence of risk management on the performance of industry–university collaborative projects: the moderating role of knowledge management capabilities. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 11(3), 723–748. https://doi.org/10.1108/joepp-03-2023-0098

Drucker, P. F. (1999). Knowledge-Worker Productivity: The Biggest Challenge. California Management Review, 41(2), 79–94. https://doi.org/10.2307/41165987

Engelsberger, A., Cavanagh, J., Bartram, T., et al. (2023). Maximizing team development for open innovation in digital product development: the role of collaborative HRM and relational leadership. Personnel Review, 53(4), 1022–1038. https://doi.org/10.1108/pr-09-2022-0657

Fassott, G., Henseler, J., & Coelho, P. S. (2016). Testing moderating effects in PLS path models with composite variables. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 116(9), 1887–1900. https://doi.org/10.1108/imds-06-2016-0248

Fernandez, B., Gonzalez, A., & Sabherwal, R. (2004). Knowledge Management Challenges, Solutions, and Technologies. Prentice Hall, NJ.

Firestone, J. M., & McElroy, M. W. (2005). Doing knowledge management. The Learning Organization, 12(2), 189–212. https://doi.org/10.1108/09696470510583557

Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224378101800104

Fotopoulos, C. V., & Psomas, E. L. (2010). The structural relationships between TQM factors and organizational performance. The TQM Journal, 22(5), 539–552. https://doi.org/10.1108/17542731011072874

Gerhart, B., & Feng, J. (2021). The Resource-Based View of the Firm, Human Resources, and Human Capital: Progress and Prospects. Journal of Management, 47(7), 1796–1819. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206320978799

Goh, S., & Gregory, R. (I997). Benchmarking the Learning Capability of Organizations. European Management Journal, 15(5), 575-583. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0263-2373(97)00036-4

Greenstein, S. (2020). The Basic Economics of Internet Infrastructure. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 34(2), 192–214. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.34.2.192

Hair, J. F., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2011). PLS-SEM: Indeed a Silver Bullet. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 19(2), 139–152. https://doi.org/10.2753/mtp1069-6679190202

Hammami, S. M., Ahmed, F., Johny, J., et al. (2021). Impact of Knowledge Capabilities on Organisational Performance in the Private Sector in Oman. International Journal of Knowledge Management, 17(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.4018/ijkm.2021010102

Hammami, S., & Alkhaldi, F. (2021). Enterprise Systems in the Post-Implementation Phase: An Emergent Organizational Perspective. The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 8(3), 619-628. https://doi:10.13106/jafeb.2021.vol8.no3.0619

Hammami, S., & Alkhaldi, F. M. (2012). Enhancing BI Systems Application Through the Integration of IT Governance and Knowledge Capabilities of the Organization. Business Intelligence and Agile Methodologies for Knowledge-Based Organizations, 161–182. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-61350-050-7.ch008

Hammami, S., Durrah, O., Jamil, S. A., et al. (2022). Engaging Knowledge Capabilities to Sustain the Application of Information Technology Governance in Healthcare Institutions. SAGE Open, 12(4), 215824402211327. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221132783

Heeseok, L., & Byounggu, B. (2003). Knowledge Management Enablers, Processes, and Organizational Performance: An Integrative View and Empirical Examination. Journal of Management Information Systems, 20(1), 179–228. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421222.2003.11045756

Hsu, I. C. (2006). Enhancing employee tendencies to share knowledge—Case studies of nine companies in Taiwan. International Journal of Information Management, 26(4), 326–338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2006.03.001

Hung, B. Q., Hoa, T. A., Hoai, T. T., et al. (2023). Advancement of cloud-based accounting effectiveness, decision-making quality, and firm performance through digital transformation and digital leadership: Empirical evidence from Vietnam. Heliyon, 9(6), e16929. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16929

Huynh, T. N., Van Nguyen, P., Nguyen, Q. N., et al. (2023). Technology innovation, technology complexity, and co-creation effects on organizational performance: The role of government influence and co-creation. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 9(4), 100150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joitmc.2023.100150

Judith, J., & Penelope, J. (1997). Assessing your Company’s Knowledge Management Style. Long Range Planning, 30(3), 392-398. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0024-6301(97)90254-5

Kanagasabapathy, K., Radhakrishnan, R., & Balasubramanian, S. (1997). Empirical Investigation of Critical Success factor and knowledge management structure for successful implementation of knowledge management system. Case study in Process industry.

Kim, M., Lee, H., & Kwak, J. (2020). The changing patterns of China’s international standardization in ICT under techno-nationalism: A reflection through 5G standardization. International Journal of Information Management, 54, 102145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102145

King, R., Clarkson, P. M., & Wallace, S. (2010). Budgeting practices and performance in small healthcare businesses. Management Accounting Research, 21(1), 40–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mar.2009.11.002

Kohtamäki, M., Parida, V., Patel, P. C., et al. (2020). The relationship between digitalization and servitization: The role of servitization in capturing the financial potential of digitalization. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 151, 119804. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2019.119804

Kucza, T. (2001). Knowledge Management Process Model. Technical Research Centre of Finland, Finland.

Leeflang, P. S. H., Wieringa, J. E., Bijmolt, T. H. A., et al. (editors). (2017). Advanced Methods for Modeling Markets. Springer International Publishing.

Li, C., Ashraf, S. F., Shahzad, F., et al. (2020). Influence of Knowledge Management Practices on Entrepreneurial and Organizational Performance: A Mediated-Moderation Model. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.577106

Li, W., Liu, K., Belitski, M., et al. (2016). E-Leadership through Strategic Alignment: An Empirical Study of Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises in the Digital Age. Journal of Information Technology, 31(2), 185–206. https://doi.org/10.1057/jit.2016.10

Lubis, N. W. (2022). Resource Based View (RBV) in Improving Company Strategic Capacity. Research Horizon, 2(6), 587–596. https://doi.org/10.54518/rh.2.6.2022.587-596

Manley, S. C., Hair, J. F., Williams, R. I., et al. (2020). Essential new PLS-SEM analysis methods for your entrepreneurship analytical toolbox. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 17(4), 1805–1825. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-020-00687-6

Martínez-Caro, E., Cegarra-Navarro, J. G., & Alfonso-Ruiz, F. J. (2020). Digital technologies and firm performance: The role of digital organisational culture. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 154, 119962. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2020.119962

Migdadi, M. M. (2020). Knowledge management processes, innovation capability and organizational performance. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 71(1), 182–210. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijppm-04-2020-0154

Ministry of Communications and Technology. (2022). Review and analysis of the Syrian Arab Republic’s telecommunication/ICT markets. Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic. Available online: https://moct.gov.sy/sites/default/files/SYRIA%20Telecom.ICTs%20Market%20Review%20and%20Analysis%20Final%20Report.pdf (accessed on 5 April 2024).

Newman, B. B., & Conrad, K. K. (1999). A Framework for Characterizing Knowledge Management Methods, Practices, and Technologies. George Washington University. pp. 1-20.

Nonaka, I. (2000). A firm as a knowledge-creating entity: a new perspective on the theory of the firm. Industrial and Corporate Change, 9(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1093/icc/9.1.1

Nonaka, I., & Konno, N. (1998). The Concept of “Ba”: Building a Foundation for Knowledge Creation. California Management Review, 40(3), 40–54. https://doi.org/10.2307/41165942

Obeso, M., Hernández-Linares, R., López-Fernández, M. C., et al. (2020). Knowledge management processes and organizational performance: the mediating role of organizational learning. Journal of Knowledge Management, 24(8), 1859–1880. https://doi.org/10.1108/jkm-10-2019-0553

Oktaysoy, O., Topcuoglu, E., & Kaygin, E. (2022). A Study on Digital Leadership Scale Adaptation. International Journal of Organizational Leadership, 11(4), 407–425. https://doi.org/10.33844/ijol.2022.60342

Pereira, V., & Bamel, U. (2021). Extending the resource and knowledge based view: A critical analysis into its theoretical evolution and future research directions. Journal of Business Research, 132, 557–570. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.021

Pfeffer, J. (2001). The Knowing‐Doing Gap: How Smart Companies Turn Knowledge into Action. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 6(3), 142–143. https://doi.org/10.1108/scm.2001.6.3.142.1

Reuters. (2022). Syria awards third mobile telecoms license to Wafa -state media. Available online: https://www.euronews.com/next/2022/02/21/syria-telecoms (accessed on 11 April 2024).

Rezaei, F., Khalilzadeh, M., & Soleimani, P. (2021). Factors Affecting Knowledge Management and Its Effect on Organizational Performance: Mediating the Role of Human Capital. Advances in Human-Computer Interaction, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/8857572

Ribeiro-Navarrete, S., Botella-Carrubi, D., Palacios-Marqués, D., et al. (2021). The effect of digitalization on business performance: An applied study of KIBS. Journal of Business Research, 126, 319–326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.12.065

Schehar, B., Rehman, K. U., & Aslam Khan, M. (2010). Study of Factors that Impact Knowledge Management Fit in Corporate Sector of Pakistan. Far East Journal of Psychology and Business,1(1).

Shahzad, M., Qu, Y., Zafar, A. U., et al. (2020). Exploring the influence of knowledge management process on corporate sustainable performance through green innovation. Journal of Knowledge Management, 24(9), 2079–2106. https://doi.org/10.1108/jkm-11-2019-0624

Shahzad, M., Qu, Y., Zafar, A. U., et al. (2021). Does the interaction between the knowledge management process and sustainable development practices boost corporate green innovation? Business Strategy and the Environment, 30(8), 4206–4222. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2865

Singh, S. K., Gupta, S., Busso, D., et al. (2021). Top management knowledge value, knowledge sharing practices, open innovation and organizational performance. Journal of Business Research, 128, 788–798. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.04.040

Singh, S., Darwish, T. K., & Potočnik, K. (2015). Measuring Organizational Performance: A Case for Subjective Measures. British Journal of Management, 27(1), 214–224. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.12126

Soomro, B. A., Mangi, S., & Shah, N. (2020). Strategic factors and significance of organizational innovation and organizational learning in organizational performance. European Journal of Innovation Management, 24(2), 481–506. https://doi.org/10.1108/ejim-05-2019-0114

Tajpour, M., Hosseini, E., Mohammadi, M., et al. (2022). The Effect of Knowledge Management on the Sustainability of Technology-Driven Businesses in Emerging Markets: The Mediating Role of Social Media. Sustainability, 14(14), 8602. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148602

Tigre, F. B., Curado, C., & Henriques, P. L. (2022). Digital Leadership: A Bibliometric Analysis. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 30(1), 40–70. https://doi.org/10.1177/15480518221123132

van Riel, A. C. R., Henseler, J., Kemény, I., et al. (2017). Estimating hierarchical constructs using consistent partial least squares. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 117(3), 459–477. https://doi.org/10.1108/imds-07-2016-0286

Vinekar, V., Teng, J. T., & Chennamaneni, A. (2009). The interaction of business intelligence and knowledge management in organizational decision-making. Journal of International Technology and Information Management, 18(2), 143.

Wang, W. T., & Wu, S. Y. (2020). Knowledge management based on information technology in response to COVID-19 crisis. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 19(4), 468–474. https://doi.org/10.1080/14778238.2020.1860665

Yang, J. T. (2007). Knowledge sharing: Investigating appropriate leadership roles and collaborative culture. Tourism Management, 28(2), 530–543. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2006.08.006

Yang, J. T., & Wan, C. S. (2004). Advancing organizational effectiveness and knowledge management implementation. Tourism Management, 25(5), 593–601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2003.08.002

Yingda, L., Param, V. S., & Baohong, S. (2010). A Dynamic Structural Analysis of Enterprise Knowledge Sharing. Carnegie Mellon University.

Zunino, C., Valenzano, A., Obermaisser, R., et al. (2020). Factory Communications at the Dawn of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Computer Standards & Interfaces, 71, 103433. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csi.2020.103433