Transcending professional barrier: knowledge sharing and social network in China's health organizations

PURPOSE: This study investigates how social networks transcend professional barriers to facilitate knowledge sharing in China's medical organizations, examining the mediating roles of positive emotions and relationship quality and exploring configurational paths to successful sharing. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: A mixed-methods design combining Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) was employed using data from 2,300 employees across 23 Tertiary Grade A hospitals in Beijing. SEM tested linear paths and mediation effects, while QCA identified equifinal configurations for high knowledge sharing. FINDINGS: SEM confirms social networks positively correlate with knowledge sharing. Positive emotions and relationship quality act as significant mediators, with relationship quality showing the strongest effect. QCA reveals three equifinal configurations: (1) professional synergy (high special heterogeneity, network density and positive emotion); (2) relational cohesion (high relationship quality, network density, low general heterogeneity and positive emotion) and (3) diversity-catalyst (high general and special heterogeneity with positive emotion, even when relationship quality is low). Positive emotion is a necessary condition across all successful paths. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This study provides organization-level evidence from real-world medical settings, integrates structural, cognitive and relational dimensions of social capital and combines SEM with QCA to uncover equifinality and compensatory mechanisms unattainable through linear methods alone. Identifying positive emotion as a non-negotiable catalyst reconfigures knowledge governance theory in professional complex systems.