The Role of Social Capital and Knowledge Transfer in Organizational Learning of Knowledge Based Firms

Organizational learning makes the companies to maintain their competitive advantage and organizational development. Increasing innovational performance and organizational learning needs an effective and sustainable communication with all stakeholders and considering environmental concerns. Social capital is a kind of capital that facilitates the access to information and vital resources in order to improve environmental performance، organizational learning and taking advantage of environmental opportunities. The aim of this article is to develop a systematic framework about social capital considering the mediating role of knowledge transfer and organizational learning in Iranian knowledge based organizations and tries to broaden the frontiers of knowledge in this area. This study، based on its aim، is an application research، and based on data collection method، is a descriptive one. Data was gathered using a questionnaire from a random sample from knowledge based organizations in Iran. The obtained data was analyzed using structural equation modeling technique and Smart PLS software. The results indicate that in Iranian organizations، social capital and knowledge transfer have an effect on organizational learning. Also، the mediating role of knowledge transfer in the relation of social capital and organizational learning in Iranian knowledge based organizations is confirmed.