Measurement invariance of the Knowledge Management Questionnaire in local authorities

Abstract

Purpose: The aims of this research were to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Knowledge Management Questionnaire (KMQ), and to check in what extent the meaning of knowledge management is the same for workers in quality certified and non-certified Portuguese municipalities using measurement invariance tests. Design/Methodology/Approach: The KMQ was applied to 972 employees providing data on four knowledge management dimensions. After Confirmatory Factor Analysis was performed, the test of configural invariance, the test of equality of factor loadings, the test of equality of indicator interceptions, the test of error invariance, the test of equivalence of factor variances, the test of invariance of covariances between factors, and the test of equivalence of error covariances were carried out. Five fit indices were used. Findings: Taken together, the results suggest that KMQ is a valid and reliable instrument in the context of local government, and could be regarded as invariant across employees from certified and non-certified municipalities. Research limitations/implications: We cannot assume that the invariance is generalizable to other knowledge management instruments and other samples. Practical implications: A reliable and valid instrument to measure knowledge management in organizations is available for practitioners use. Originality/Value: The results support the use of the KMQ to test hypotheses focused on direct comparisons of knowledge management across the two groups, and to evaluate knowledge management in local authorities in the four dimensions.