Does mobile technology shape employee socialization and enable tacit knowledge sharing in public sector organizations

The exchange of tacit knowledge is made easier by socialization, which drives innovation by encouraging creativity, learning, and the ability to collaborate to solve problems in research and development (R&D) organizations. This study was conducted to discover how socialization and sharing of tacit knowledge are related. Socialization has been divided into two parts: intra-organizational socialization and extra-organizational socialization. The role of mobile technology as an advanced form of information and communication technology facilitating the relationship is also studied. A total of 18 interviews were conducted, for which the respondents were selected through purposive sampling from 24 organizations, which were first segregated into four strata. The results indicate that intra-organizational and extra-organizational socialization leads to tacit knowledge sharing, and mobile technology facilitates relationships. It is also concluded that mobile technology has changed reality and proved that virtual interaction could lead to tacit knowledge sharing. It is also concluded that mobile technology changed the socialization pattern, expanded the social circle, and changed the priority from face-to-face to virtual interaction.