Not All Roads Lead to Rome: Bridging HRM, Strategic Leadership and Knowledge Transfer in Healthcare

The efficiency and service quality of healthcare organizations is driven by effective knowledge transfer between healthcare professionals. Specialized medical units are complex organizations where professionals with different profiles need to work together closely and in a coordinated fashion. A deeper understanding of knowledge transfer antecedents could shed light on how medical units deliver effective service quality. In this study, we draw on the Ability, Motivation and Opportunity (AMO) framework and self-determination (SDT) theory, which is still in its infancy in public management. In a sample of 508 medical specilialists, we examine whether and how HR practices based on the AMO framework (training, opportunities for development, participation in decision-making, and communication) positively impact on knowledge transfer. The results show that strategic leadership mediates the effect of AMO HR practices on knowledge transfer only when it fosters resilience among medical specialists.