THE RELATIONSHIP OF TRUST, KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER AND THE PERSON-JOB AND PERSON-ORGANIZATION FIT AS MODERATING EFFECTS

ABSTRACT

In the literature on knowledge transfer, there exists a dichotomy in perspectives.Scholars such as Szulanski, (1996)contend that knowledge transfer is 'sticky' due to knowledge embedded in human beings.This is a process that is hindered by the possibility of miscommunication or misinterpretation between the knowledge provider and the recipient (see Indarti, 2017).On the other hand, other scholars posit that knowledge transfer and technology's diffusion can be achieved with a "one-shot," instant, and a low-cost process, thereby facilitating productivity and business growth (Nelson, 1981).Individuals in organizations are more likely to prefer to share knowledge with colleagues they already trust, and relationships within organizations play an important role in facilitating knowledge sharing (Cook, Cheshire, Rice, & Nakagawa, 2013;Davenport & Prusak, 1998;Levin, Cross, & Abrams, 2002).In other words, trust may be the key to bridging the different views on knowledge transfer.
However, trust has been interpreted in divergent ways, with a blurred line between trust and distrust (Mcknight & Chervany, 2001).For instance, the owner of an SME may have to trust his/her larger business partner, due to a lack of other options while simultaneously distrusting their actions, as each party is aware that their interests need to be aligned.Similarly, employees may be forced to trust their colleagues due to a lack of alternatives.Thus, establishing trust in the organization may be a case of "I trust you" instead of "I really trust you."This view is consistent with the term "smart trust," where trust can be used to generate prosperity, but also to create joy and energy in all dimensions of life by minimizing risks and optimizing opportunities (Covey, Link, & Merrill, 2012).Consequently, the interplay between trust and knowledge transfer is a complex phenomenon that requires further examination.Trust can either enhance or detract from knowledge transfer, and the type of trust that effectively impacts knowledge transfer remains an unresolved inquiry.Utilizing the social exchange theory's perspective, ideal trust cultivates a harmonious relationship within the organization (Cook et al., 2013).This harmony refers to a trust established through mutual understanding and respect, rather than trust imposed by external factors or a lack of alternative options.Despite the inherent imperfections in organizations due to human involvement, efforts can be made to mitigate organizational weaknesses and limitations, to minimize their impact.One possible solution to this issue is through the concept of organizational fit.Ideally, the organization needs employees with similar needs to work effectively together.Thus, the organization must identify individuals with suitable and trustworthy traits.The person-organization fit (POfit) and person-job fit (PJ-fit) theories assert that an employee's fit with an organization can be evaluated based on their knowledge, skills, abilities (KSA), compatibility with the organizational culture and environment, and organizational characteristics (Kristof, 1996;Kristof-Brown, Zimmerman, & Johnson, 2005;Morley, 2007).As a result, when the organization recruits employees who fit with these traits, they will likely develop trust-based relationships that facilitate seamless knowledge transfer activities.
PJ-fit and PO-fit studies discuss employee selection (Sekiguchi, 2007), culture (Ramesh & Gelfand, 2010), work attitudes and performance (Oh et al., 2014), organizational change (Caldwell, 2011), and work stress (Deniz, Noyan, & Ertosun, 2015), etc. PJ-fit and PO-fit have been studied as mediating roles for knowledge transfer (Qinfeng, 2023).However, this study assumes that PJ-fit and PO-fit will enhance or weaken the relationship between trust and knowledge transfer.PJ-fit will strengthen or weaken the relationship between trust and knowledge transfer, depending on the exact fit of KSA in the organization.PO-fit will strengthen or weaken the relationship between trust and knowledge transfer depending on whether the individual's values fit with the organization's values.The relationship that is built can be considered a novelty in this study, where PJ-fit and PO-fit are studied as moderating variables of trust and knowledge transfer, since they have never been studied 1 .Hence, can the effect of trust on knowledge transfer be strengthened by the suitability of KSAs, organizational values, and organizational culture?From this question, the objective of this study is to assess the relationship between trust 1 Confirmed by Publish or Perish Application with Scopus database and Semantic Scholar with most influential paper database using keyword trust, knowledge transfer, person-job fit and person-organisation fit as moderating variables.
and knowledge transfer with PJ-fit and PO-fit as moderating variables.The PJ-fit and PO-fit constructs are critical in promoting concord within the organization, fostering robust mutual trust for the transfer of knowledge.

Social Exchange Theory
The social exchange theory can be applied in the context of knowledge transfer in organizations.This theory suggests that social interactions are based on the principle of reciprocity.Individuals exchange resources or favors with the expectation of mutual benefit (Cook et al., 2013).In the context of knowledge transfer, employees are more likely to share their knowledge when they expect to receive something of value in return.
The social exchange theory emphasizes the importance of trusting and transferring knowledge (Elita, Moordiningsih, & Sinthia, 2020;Jinyang, 2015).Employees are more likely to share with trusted colleagues, while organizational relationships are important in facilitating knowledge sharing.In a social exchange, trust is perceived as confidence that the partner in the exchange will act beneficially rather than maliciously.It is based on assessments of the exchange partner's characteristics and motives (Searle & Sitkin, 2018).Similar to the principles of exchange economics, individuals can strive to make gains.However, such efforts can be thwarted if there is a lack of equilibrium in the exchange, or if others receive greater rewards for the same investment the individual makes (Redmond, 2015).

Knowledge Transfer
The knowledge management literature frequently features knowledge transfer and knowledge sharing concepts, which are often considered synonymous terms.However, it is imperative to acknowledge that knowledge transfer encompasses not only the transmission of information but also the incorporation of feedback, a process commonly referred to as sharing.Lee, (2001) concurs with this viewpoint and asserts that knowledge sharing encompasses disseminating knowledge among individuals, groups, or organizations through various means.This research endeavors to utilize the term knowledge transfer in recognition of its multidimensional nature, which encompasses a one-time exchange of information and the integration of feedback and continual communication.
Furthermore, the literature considers knowledge transfer to be a social activity (Dalkir, 2005).Interaction, communication, the exchange of various perspectives, opinions, and suggestions are all part of the knowledge exchange (Srivastava, Bartol, & Locke, 2006;Srivastava & Joshi, 2018).However, it is vital to emphasize that carrying out this action necessitates supporting the underlying knowledge transfer behavior.
Several experts have conceptualized knowledge transfer in various ways.Van Den Hooff & Ridder, (2004) define it as a method of sharing either implicit or explicit knowledge that results in the development of new knowledge.Knowledge transfer is defined as the transmission of information, concepts, and experiences from one entity to another, which includes communication, translation, conversion, and categorization (Davenport & Prusak, 1998).According to Lee, (2001), knowledge transfer is the distribution of knowledge between people, groups, or entities, which can be accomplished through various techniques.Although many definitions exist, there is agreement that knowledge transfer is a process of obtaining new knowledge by exchanging information and experiences inside an organization, through communication and social interaction.
In this study, knowledge transfer transmits tacit or explicit information to develop new knowledge.People must share their ideas, facts, personal experiences, and specialized skills with others for knowledge transfer.A systematic literature review has shown that knowledge transfer can facilitate innovative behavior, creativity, learning, performance, and innovation capabilities (Ahmad & Karim, 2019).Knowledge transfer is a fundamental factor in the sustainability of organizations, which means that the competitiveness and performance of organizations are determined by knowledge transfer (Shi et al., 2020).Knowledge transfer positively affects organizational performance, by increasing resources and reducing the time wasted by trial and error.In addition, knowledge sharing can also provide personal benefits to employees, such as pride, increased personal identification with colleagues or the organization, greater respect from others, a better reputation, and reduced alienation, or stronger feelings of commitment (Matoskova, Bartok, & Tomancova, 2020).

Trust
The construct of trust refers to an individual's belief or expectation of something or someone else.Trust is a fundamental element in human life because it relates to behavior and actions (Rizi, Dharma, Amelia, & Prasetyo, 2023).For instance, when individuals trust others, it usually leads to a strong belief in the abilities of others, and the tendency to take more risks.
Trust is a multifaceted and elusive notion, encompassing a range of contributing elements, and varies depending upon the expectations inherent in various types of relationships, and it is susceptible to alterations throughout said relationships.Despite the numerous attempts to quantify trust through 129 assessments over 48 years, and the resultant debates, trust fundamentally embodies a positive apprehension (McEvily & Tortoriello, 2011;Tortoriello, Reagans, & McEvily, 2012).It is important to note that despite appearances to the contrary, trust and distrust bear several similarities, with individuals often demonstrating trust due to perceived necessity.Trust and distrust will always exist in organizations (Lewicky & McAllister, 1998), and they are often difficult to distinguish within organizations (Lumineau, 2017).There will always be a dark side to trust that affects the level of trust in innovation performance (Xavier Molina-Morales, Teresa Martínez-Fernández, & Torlò, 2011).
Trust itself may be built due to dispositional trust factors, history with individuals or social groups, recommendation factors from others we already trust, category trust, and role-based trust (Kramer, 1999).Thus, trust may be built depending on what we want to trust.For instance, individuals might be driven to trust others because of their superiors' orders, when a person trusts others because of an individual's or family's history, or when there is a recommendation from someone we already trust, even though we may not know the person.Thus, trust and distrust can become blurred, and in this sense, what needs to be achieved is not just trust but a feeling of trust.Nonetheless, it cannot be disregarded that cultivating trust within organizational contexts has far-reaching and favorable implications for both individual behavior and organizational efficacy (McAllister, 1995).
Trust is a fundamental aspect of organizational relationships and is intricately linked to the trustworthiness between organizational members.It encompasses the notion of positive anticipation and a degree of risk that stems from the decision to place confidence in others (McShane & Glinow, 2018).McShane and Glinow's study further elaborates that trust is a perceptual construct rooted in an individual's perception of another's competence, ethics, and benevolent intentions.According to McAllister's (1995) study, despite the numerous definitions of trust, the present study conceptualizes trust as the level of assurance and readiness with which an individual accepts and acts upon the truthfulness of someone else's actions, words, and decisions.

PJ-fit and PO-fit
According to Caplan, (1987), the personenvironment fit (P-E fit) is an intricate relationship between the individual's attributes (such as his/her attitude, behavior, etc.) and the environment, where the two cannot be disentangled.Specifically, P-E fit focuses on the relationship between reality and expectations.If a discrepancy exists between the individual's attitude and reality, it results in dissatisfaction, tension, and unwanted outcomes in the work environment, leading to a lack of trust between parties.Instead, if employees fit in with the set values of the organization and are supported by trust, their tendency to share knowledge is higher (Rungsithong & Meyer, 2020).Individuals will positively perceive when there is a fit with the attributes they value as expected; otherwise, they perceive the lowest value when the environment offers less than they need or want (Van Vianen, 2018).In its development, P-E fit was divided into two subtopics: PJ-fit and PO-fit.PJ-fit is the notion that an individual's jobrelated knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) match their job requirements.This fit is determined by the job's needs and demands, and the employee's ability to meet those demands (Cable & DeRue, 2002).Essentially, PJ-fit reflects the mutual fit of the employee and the job.When employees' desires, motivations, or inclinations are met by their work, PJ-fit is achieved (Kristof-Brown et al., 2005).PJ-fit encompasses the idea of employee proficiency that is congruent with the demands of the job.For instance, the IT sector requires workers who possess technical KSA proficiency in various information system positions, both hardware and software.Suppose employees have divergent differences in their ability and knowledge.In that case, it can result in mistrust due to a lack of confidence, which McAllister (1995) described as cognitive trust, where there is a reluctance to trust others due to their incapacity.Organizations consist of individuals who possess complementary attributes and align with the organizational environment (Caplan, 1987).
As a result, the organization and its members ought to share common interests, goals, and cultural values.This convergence between individual characteristics and organizational values is referred to as PO-fit (Kristof, 1996).Formulating the organization's vision and mission plays a pivotal role in shaping its members' values, thereby impacting their performance.
Moreover, as indicated by Lee & Wu (2011), PO-fit is often utilized to assess the relationship between personality, job-related information, and organizational appeal.This viewpoint concurs that individuals are drawn to organizations that fit with their personal interests and traits (Schneider, 1987).Hence, organizations can select employees who conform to their culture, vision, mission, and character values.Consequently, to achieve the company's vision, recruiting individuals who can smoothly integrate into the organization is optimal.This integration becomes challenging if the employees do not align with the organizational character and culture.For instance, if a company such as Toyota, with a philosophy of Kaizen and a culture of knowledge sharing, seeks to attract employees who embody creativity, innovation, sociability, and harmonious relationships, it must select individuals who fit these values (Dyer & Nobeoka, 2000).

Trust and Knowledge Transfer
Trust in a workplace can significantly impact the propensity of employees to share their knowledge to enhance a company's innovative capabilities (Kmieciak, 2020).The greater the trust in one's coworkers and superiors, the more inclined individuals are to share knowledge.This is due to the perception that such knowledge transfers will be used judiciously and will not negatively impact the source (Staples & Webster, 2008).Even if the information shared may be imperfect or contain errors, it is still deemed valuable and not subject to critique or a depreciation of competence, but rather opportunities for joint growth and development (McEvily & Tortoriello, 2011).Trust can be viewed as an investment in human capital (McAlister, 1995).For trust to effectively contribute to a firm's achievement, Davenport and Prusak (1998) posit that it must be tangible and palpable for individuals to feel confident in sharing their knowledge.Previous research suggests that the relationship between trust and knowledge transfer is reciprocal (Li, Li, & Wang, 2021), with some studies indicating that trust is a predictor of knowledge transfer (Smaliukienė, Bekešienė, Chlivickas, & Magyla, 2017), while others argue that the act of knowledge transfer within an organization leads to the development of trust (Alsharo, Gregg, & Ramirez, 2017).
The social exchange theory stipulates that trust engenders knowledge sharing.Interacting and sharing knowledge can greatly depend on the existence of a high level of trust (see previous section).Instead, a low level of trust leads to skepticism and a reluctance to share information or cooperate.This trust facilitates the dissemination of accurate and truthful knowledge between the knowledge giver and receiver, who regard each other as reliable sources.The impact of trust and knowledge transfer still leaves room for debate.However, prior research by Alsharo et al., (2017), Rungsithong & Meyer, (2020), and Zhang & Jiang, (2015) has documented strong empirical evidence supporting a positive relationship between these two variables.
On the other hand, some studies found different results.For instance, Bakker et al., (2010) and Chow & Chan, (2008) found no positive relationship between trust and knowledge transfer, and stated that trust is a poor explanation for knowledge transfer.However, according to Kmieciak (2020), the difference in results arises because there is no separation between trust in coworkers and superiors.Despite these contrary findings, trust is a critical factor for knowledge transfer (Levin et al., 2002;Levin, Cross, Abrams, & Lesser, 2004).Hence, considering the following considerations, trust is claimed to positively impact behavior related to knowledge transfer activities.Based on the logical theory relationship, the first hypothesis can be stated as follows: H1.Trust is positively related to knowledge transfer.

PJ-Fit and PO-Fit as Moderating Variable
Discussing trust as an integral part of the process of formulating a company's policy direction, means explaining that trust is good, and can create a transfer of tacit knowledge within the company (Arnett, Wittmann & Hansen, 2021).However, companies that invest too much in trust may misallocate valuable resources and/or take unnecessary risks that could have substantial negative effects, including on their innovation performance (Xavier Molina-Morales et al., 2011;Zhang et al., 2018).The fit between humans and their environment is better at predicting human behavior than in silo (separately) (Van Vianen, 2018).Thus, organizations strive to optimize the fit between their members and systems to foster greater levels of trust and effective knowledge transfer.The degree of the fit between employees and the organization impacts the efficacy of knowledge transfer and trust, as postulated by the social capital theory (Jin & Hahm, 2019).An increased match between organizational members and the organization results in a higher level of knowledge transfer (Ye, Wang, Zhang, & Li, 2019), and improved individual-organization compatibility contributes to elevated trust in the organization (Afsar, Badir, & Khan, 2015).Thus, the concept of the person-organization fit (PO-fit) is crucial in strengthening the relationship between trust and knowledge transfer, which can facilitate organizational goals, such as innovation.
In the social exchange theory, PO-fit can influence the quality of the relationship between individuals and organizations.The social exchange theory suggests that relationships evolve over time, building commitments of trust, loyalty and reciprocity, as long as the parties follow the rules of exchange (Sunyoto, Tjahjono, El Qodric, Prajogo, & Hadi, 2021).Individuals who feel they fit the values and culture of the organization are more motivated and committed (Hanaysha, 2016;Kontoghiorghes, 2016;Al-Sada, Al-Esmael, & Faisal, 2017).PO-fit can also influence the exchange process within the organization (Lee, Shiue & Chen, 2016).When individuals feel they have a good fit with the organization's values and goals, they are more willing to contribute their utmost, and participate in social exchanges that benefit the organization.
PO-fit has been associated with several positive outcomes, such as job satisfaction, adjustment, performance, stress reduction, career success, and retention (Malhotra, Sahadev, & Sharom, 2020;Pratama, Suwarni, & Handayani, 2022).It also alleviates career-related concerns and provides opportunities for better interactions (Hamstra, Van Vianen, & Koen, 2019;Kerse, Koçak, & Babadağ, 2022).In this study, it is expected that PO-fit has a positive impact on strengthening the effect of trust on knowledge transfer.When individual's and organizations' culture, behavior, and characteristics fit, a harmonious or conducive organizational climate (e.g., learning organization) may be formed (Lau, McLean, Hsu, & Lien, 2017).For instance, knowledge transfer may be encouraged by trust.However, if the environment seems less harmonious due to different cultural factors, then the knowledge transfer established by trust may not be a true relationship.Thus, when trust is needed to increase knowledge transfer activities, other factors are also needed to encourage this relationship, and PO-fit can be this factor.Thus, the following hypothesis: H2.PO-fit positively moderates the relationship between trust and knowledge transfer.
The person-job fit (PJ-fit) concerns how well a person's knowledge, skills and ability fit a job's requirements, expectations, and rewards.It is also defined as the alignment between a person's needs and desires and the attributes of the job (Dhir & Dutta, 2020;Saufi, Naha, Mansor, Kakar, & Singh, 2020).This fit can lead to elevated levels of trust and knowledge transfer behavior, thereby increasing an individual's trust in the organization (Afsar et al., 2015;Akhtar, Syed, Husnain, & Naseer, 2019).The relationship between PJ-fit and trust can be explained through a fit environment that allows individuals to fulfill their needs and leads to favorable attitudes (Aydin Kucuk, 2022;Jin & Hahm, 2019).Individuals tend to interact with others with similar attitudes and beliefs (Jutengren, Jaldestad, Dellve, & Eriksson, 2020;Swanson, Kim, Lee, Yang, & Lee, 2020).This leads to mutual trust and knowledge transfer between organizational members (Hardiyanto & Hendarsjah, 2021).
In the context of the social exchange theory, PJ-fit can influence how individuals interact with their organization and coworkers (e.g., Cook et al., 2013;Jinyang, 2015;Redmond, 2015;Searle & Sitkin, 2018).Individuals who feel that their KSAs match their work are more likely to like their work and be committed to their organization.When individuals feel that their KSAs match their work, they are more likely to contribute more to the organization.As individuals living in the 21st century spend most of their lives at work, the PJ-fit theory may be an important antecedent to the experience of the flow at work (Aydin Kucuk, 2022).
Previous research supports the hypothesis that PJ-fit predicts trust (Abualoush, Obeidat, Abusweilema, & Khasawneh, 2022;Kerse et al., 2022), indicating that an improved PJ-fit can lead to increased trust and knowledge-sharing among organizational members.Referring to this opinion, in this study, the fit between individual KSA and organizational KSA needs is predicted to strengthen the influence of trust on knowledge transfer.This argument arises because KSA is an inherent factor in employees, so when individual KSA is in line with the organization's expectation, KSA itself may strengthen the relationship between trust and knowledge transfer.For instance, an employee may be pressured to trust their coworkers because no one else can be trusted anymore (see Mcknight & Chervany, 2001); the trust that affects knowledge transfer is not felt to be real trust, but if the KSA is appropriate and considered qualified, it may be possible to strengthen the relationship between trust and knowledge transfer in the organization.This suggestion leads to the following hypothesis: H3. PJ-fit positively moderates the relationship between trust and knowledge transfer.

METHOD, DATA, AND ANALYSIS
This study used a quantitative associative research methodology with a survey-based design to confirm the causal relationship described in the literature review.The population of this study was the information technology (IT) staff in Indonesia across all business sectors, who were perceived as requiring a certain level of knowledge.IT staff are knowledge workers who are assumed to have higher and specific KSAs than other staff (Gardner, 2014;Lo, 2015).These specifications were considered appropriate for assessing the constructs of PJ-fit, knowledge transfer, and other constructs.
Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, was selected as the research site due to its centrality in Indonesia's business sector, and its diverse workforce.According to the National Statistical Bureau report (BPS), in 2021, the workforce in Jakarta surpassed four million employees; thus, a non-random purposive sample was employed to ensure representative results.The sample criteria were: 1) employees who have worked in the same company for at least two years, considering the time required to transfer valuable knowledge, and 2) respondents who were actively engaged in the IT department.Data were collected using the Google Forms application, and distributed to all the workers in information technology departments, or through WhatsApp, Telegram, and other social media, either by private or group messages.In collecting the data, this study expanded the scale of the business, type, and company name.As long as the questionnaire filler claimed to be IT staff and fitted the criteria, he/she was entitled to be considered as a respondent.The unit of analysis in this study was the individual, who assessed the conditions where he or she worked, based on his/her personal perception of the research construct.

Measurement
The construct of trust is determined by the extent to which an individual's trustworthiness is gauged by their actions and decisions through their words and behavior.McAllister's (1995) questionnaire served as the measurement.The questionnaire comprised 11 items, which consisted of five items of affect-based trust, and six items of cognition-based trust.The primary emphasis lay on the employee's evaluation of the level of trust among the pre-existing members of the organization.
Knowledge transfer refers to transmitting implicit or explicit knowledge to generate new knowledge.Knowledge transfer was measured by 10 statement items (Van Den Hooff & Ridder, 2004).The statement of knowledge transfer consisted of six items for donating knowledge, and four items of knowledge collecting.The measurement aimed at determining the degree of agreement or disagreement among employees regarding their company's knowledge transfer activities, as assessed through their perceptions.
The PO-fit construct pertained to the fit of individual and organizational characteristics (two items), culture (three items), and values (three items) (Kristof, 1996).Lastly, the PJ-fit construct encompassed the level of alignment between an individual's knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) with the KSA requirements of the organization.This construct was evaluated through three items relating to statements about knowledge, skills, and abilities, adopted from Caldwell & O'Reilly, (1990).All measurement items were stated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), and the statements were presented in a closed format.

Validity and Reliability
The evaluation of the measurement scale was carried out to test the capability of the research instrument in measuring the research construct.The assessment consisted of face/content validity, convergent validity, and reliability.
Respondents were asked to share their opinions on their firms by indicating their response to each scale item.However, these responses may have contained a subjective element.To mitigate this, the original questionnaire was altered to replace "I" with "we," ensuring that the responses better reflected the actual state of the participant's company, rather than personal bias.To ensure face validity, the original English language of the questionnaire was translated into Bahasa (Indonesian), and a panel of experts evaluated each item.
After completing the face validity examination, a statistical validity test was initiated.The empirical validity test utilized confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), including convergent validity and internal consistency (Hair, Page, & Brunsveld, 2020).An important aspect in determining convergence validity is the aggregation of instrument variables that can describe the research construct.Convergent validity can be evaluated based on the factor loading value that coalesces in a single factor.The average variance extracted (AVE) value is then a subsequent consideration.Variable instrument elements can demonstrate convergent validity if the outer loading is higher than 0.5, does not exhibit cross-loading issues, and the average variance extracted (AVE) value is higher than 0.5 (Hair, Ringle, & Sarstedt, 2011).Upon conducting the convergent validity evaluation, the subsequent stage encompasses the internal consistency approach (Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability).The instrument can be deemed reliable if the Cronbach's alpha value is higher than 0.6 and the composite reliability value is higher than 0.7 (Hair et al., 2020).Table 1 presents the results of the validity and reliability assessment.It can be concluded that the research instrument was valid and reliable for measuring the constructs in the study.The validity and reliability testing results provided strong evidence for using this instrument in this research, and the instrument had good psychometric properties for measuring the constructs in the study.This supported our confidence in the results and conclusions of this study, as the validity and reliability of the instrument played a crucial role in ensuring the accuracy and robustness of the results.

Technique of Analysis Data
The research hypotheses were tested utilizing a partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach utilizing the SmartPLS 3.29 software.PLS-SEM has been deemed to be a "silver bullet" due to its strong statistical potency in testing hypotheses with limited sample sizes and its robustness to classical assumption-related issues (Risher & Hair, 2017).Furthermore, PLS-SEM is a non-parametric statistical method that examines multidimensional processes and complex relationship patterns.This multivariate technique merges regression aspects and analytical factors to assess theory relationships simultaneously.Hypothesis testing through the bootstrapping method can be deemed supported if the t-statistic value is higher than 1.960 (95% confidence level).
The exact nature of the moderating effect must be delineated to be included in the analysis.A moderator is a variable that influences how an independent or predictor variable is related to a dependent or criterion variable (Baron & Kenny, 1986).A moderating construct can either strengthen or weaken the direct relationship between exogenous (trust) and endogenous constructs (knowledge transfer).Before conducting the moderation effect test, it is imperative to establish the significant impact of the independent variable on the dependent variable, thereby fulfilling the necessary assumption.

Profile of Respondent
In this study, the accumulated data comprised 271 valid responses from a total of 500 questionnaires that were distributed via the Google Forms application to various IT personnel in Jakarta.Hence, it can be inferred that the response rate was 54.2%.The data collection period spanned from June 2022 to September 2022.
From the sample of 271 participants, 145 individuals (or 53.50%) were male, and 126 (or 46.49%) were female.This displays the predominance of male employees in information technology (IT) departments.The average age of the 271 respondents was 35, which is considered to be within the productive age bracket and the millennial demographic.The highest proportion of respondents held a bachelor's degree, with 187 individuals (69.00%), followed by 50 with a master's degree (18.45%), and 34 high school graduates (12.54%).Most of the workforce (217 individuals or 80.81%) held staff-level positions, with a relatively small portion at a higher level.On average, the respondents reported earning a minimum of 1.2 times the Jakarta minimum wage.Detailed information regarding the profile of the respondents can be found in Table 2.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION
The subsequent phase involved evaluating the research hypotheses after determining the instrument's validity and reliability through statistical testing.The findings of the hypothesis testing are depicted in Figure 2 and Table 3.
The relationship between trust, PO-fit, and PJ-fit with knowledge transfer, and their role as moderating variables, can be inferred from Figure 2. The findings depicted in the figure suggest that trust exerts a statistically significant and positive impact on knowledge transfer, which is augmented by PJ-fit and diminished by PO-fit.
A more detailed representation of the research hypothesis test results can be observed in Table 3, which reveals that trust has a substantial positive effect on knowledge transfer, as indicated by an O-value of 0.629 and a t-stat of 7.640, which is higher than the critical t-stat value of 1.960.However, PO-fit appears to harm the relationship between trust and knowledge transfer.While not statistically significant, this effect is evident from the O-value of 0.023 and tstat of 0.898, which is lower than the rule of thumb t-stat of 1.960.In contrast, PJ-fit significantly enhances the causal relationship between trust and knowledge transfer, exhibiting an O-value of 0.111 and a t-stat value of 3.106, which exceeds the t-stat value of 1.960.These results suggest that high levels of trust can enhance knowledge transfer activities, with PJfit serving as an amplifier of the positive impact of trust on knowledge transfer.Further elaboration of the findings will be discussed in the next section.

Trust and Knowledge Transfer
The empirical outcomes of this investigation reveal that a robust level of trust is a decisive factor in enhancing knowledge transfer activities.This conclusion fortifies the notion that trust is crucial, and is an essential component that impacts knowledge transfer.Previous studies have established a significant positive correlation between trust and knowledge transfer in the workplace (C.M. Chang & Hsu, 2016;Matoskova et al., 2020;Rutten, Blaas -Franken, & Martin, 2016).Moreover, Kmieciak (2020) accentuates that horizontal trust between colleagues and superiors positively influences knowledge transfer, which positively impacts innovative work behavior.
As explained earlier, the social exchange theory states that knowledge transfer and trust are vital, where individuals will share knowledge, expertise, and resources with someone they trust (Cook et al., 2013;Jinyang, 2015;Redmond, 2015;Searle & Sitkin, 2018).Besides that, individuals or groups may share knowledge, skills, or resources to gain rewards or benefits (Watson & Hewett, 2006).Knowledge transfer is a form of exchange that underlies the understanding that sharing knowledge can result in personal or collective gains.Individuals are likely to share knowledge if they believe the action will benefit them.Trust in a person (e.g. a leader) positively encourages individuals to show their abilities, and can inspire individuals to improve their abilities in individual tasks and their contextual performance (Asad et al., 2022;Malik & Santoso, 2022).
Previous research has also demonstrated that proper knowledge transfer in organizations leads to improved, innovative work behavior (Kmieciak, 2020), innovation capabilities (Wuryaningrat, Kindangen, Sendouw, & Lumanouw, 2019), and industry innovation networks (Shi et al., 2020).A trusted knowledge transfer might be passed down from generation to generation and remain beneficial to the organization's continuity of innovation (Woodfield & Husted, 2019).This study firmly refutes previous studies that assert trust to be a poor explanatory variable in the transfer of knowledge.

PO-Fit as Moderating Effect on Trust and Knowledge Transfer
The outcomes of this study are rather unexpected, as they contravene the original research hypothesis, which posits that PO-fit would strengthen the relationship between trust and knowledge transfer.However, the results indicate that PO-fit weakens the positive impact of trust on knowledge transfer, although this effect is not statistically significant.This suggests that while robust trust can boost knowledge transfer within a workforce, the alignment between the values, culture, and personal characteristics of individuals with that of the organization does not significantly enhance the positive influence of trust and knowledge transfer.This finding offers a divergent perspective from the PO-fit theory, which asserts that the fit of the organization's values, culture, characteristics, and goals with those of the employees would result in a competitive and dynamic organization (Bowen, Ledford, & Nathan, 1991).
Given that knowledge transfer is crucial for organizational innovation and competitiveness, the insignificance of PO-fit in moderating the effect of trust on knowledge transfer implies that PO-fit may not necessarily contribute to the organization's competitiveness.Additionally, the results of this study diverge slightly from those of Afsar et al. (2015) and Ye et al. (2019), who argue that fitting with the organization results in a high degree of trust, strengthening innovation.
The insignificant impact of PO-fit on the interplay between trust and knowledge transfer could be attributed to the IT departments' employees being extensively proficient in technology.Despite possessing a high level of knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA), the personnel in this department may exhibit an inclination toward individualistic tendencies, instead of being team players.The primary responsibility of IT staff is to secure their organization's data, which includes tasks such as setting up servers, networks, firewalls, and other security systems that secure the organization's network perimeter (Gardner, 2014).
In such a scenario, the fit between an individual's KSA and the KSA required by the organization is paramount.IT staff may possess a culture that values individualism over collectivism, fostering a task-oriented rather than a relationship-oriented work environment.This does not imply a lack of friendship or respect among IT personnel, but rather, the emphasis on self-improvement and personal growth through solo work.Seeking assistance from colleagues may even be perceived as a demonstration of weakness.Though they may require knowledge transfer, seeking it from coworkers may be a last resort.Instead, they may prefer to obtain new knowledge from external sources that do not reveal any vulnerabilities.PO-fit is concerned with an individual's fit with the culture, values, and goals of their organization.In the social exchange theory, individuals who feel they fit with their organization's culture are more likely to be motivated to participate in exchanges that support their organization's success (Oparaocha, 2016;Sungu, Weng, Kitule, 2019).However, the findings of this study are not in line with that statement.PO-fit did not significantly impact the strengthening or weakening of the trust and knowledge transfer relationship.It can be a challenge to find IT personnel who not only have the right technical skills, but also fit in well with the culture and values of the organization (Bailey & Stefaniak, 2000).In organizational dynamics, aligning employees' personal behavior, or values and cultural diversity, with the organization's culture, values and goals can strengthen the creation of an organizational culture, but it is also a challenging process for human resource management (Putri, Mirzania, & Hartanto, 2020;Selden & Sowa, 2011).In addition, the effect of PO-fit on work attitudes and behavior is indirect, through the perceived social exchange with the organization (Kim, Aryee, Loi, & Kim, 2013).
Therefore, PO-fit may not be the most appropriate construct to effectively leverage trust in promoting knowledge transfer activities among the IT staff.The person-job fit (PJ-fit), which focuses on the compatibility of an individual's KSA with the KSA demanded by the organization, is a more suitable construct.This conclusion is supported by empirical evidence, which highlights that PJ-fit could enhance the influence of trust on knowledge transfer.

PJ-Fit as Moderating Effect on Trust and Knowledge Transfer
The conclusions drawn in the preceding section are substantiated by the outcomes of this study, which furnish empirical evidence that PJ-fit significantly enhances the positive correlation between trust and knowledge transfer.This finding attests to the crucial role of relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) in fostering the positive relationship between trust and knowledge transfer.Moreover, this result also demonstrates that trust is contingent on the adequacy of employees' expertise and abilities, and its absence can negatively impact the knowledge transfer process within an organization.In other words, the impact of trust on knowledge transfer is amplified with proper KSAs.As illustrated by Figure 2 and Table 3, it can be inferred that in the Indonesian IT sector, it is imperative to prioritize the alignment of KSAs with the organizational requirements, rather than just focusing on employees' cultural and value fits.These findings affirm that PJ-fit enhances trust levels and promotes knowledge transfer (Aydin Kucuk, 2022;Jin & Hahm, 2019).
The PJ-fit concept refers to how individuals fit into their jobs or roles.In the social exchange theory, when individuals feel they fit their jobs, they are more likely to be motivated to participate in productive and trusting knowledge exchanges with their organizations or coworkers.Therefore, their participation can strengthen the relationship of trust and knowledge transfer.In addition, when employees fit their work, it facilitates task implementation and can make them more diligent (Niessen, Weseler, & Kostova, 2016).
In organizations with an equal number of KSA employees, it is presumed that equal competencies can be developed among the workforce.This can lead to mutual trust in each other's abilities.Therefore, the trust developed in the organization is based on trust in coworkers' abilities, not because they have been forced or have no choice.Therefore, this desirable KSA could strengthen the relationship between trust and knowledge transfer.As an illustration, trust can still be significantly conditioned to increase knowledge transfer, while real organizational trust is not necessarily built.With PJ-fit, trust can be part of the work climate in the organization that leads to the transfer of knowledge.
These results also support the social exchange theory, which views exchanges as a social behavior that can produce economic and social results.Individuals or groups can make exchanges for certain economic or social goals.Interactions between individuals or groups enable the exchange of information, resources, or services.Good interaction can strengthen social bonds and increase organizational success by increasing the trust and cooperation between members.

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
This study delves into the contentious debate surrounding knowledge transfer.Szulanski (1996) posits that knowledge transfer is inherently "sticky," as it is deeply ingrained in human nature, and extracting it from individuals is a formidable challenge.Conversely, Nelson (1981) maintains that knowledge transfer is inevitable when individuals integrate into an organization.Trust is regarded as a potential mediator to reconcile these divergent views.Nevertheless, as a construct, trust is not devoid of contradictions; the multiplicity of its definitions and the indistinct boundary between trust and distrust cast doubt on its crucial role in facilitating knowledge transfer (Levin et al., 2004).Therefore, this study aims to determine the most efficient way to build trust to facilitate efficient knowledge transfer activities in organizations, thus avoiding potential mistrust.The constructs of PJ-fit and PO-fit are considered important in strengthening strong mutual trust for knowledge transfer.
The results of this study reveal and confirm that trust is a crucial factor for knowledge transfer.However, the trust factor that has been built in the organization may be different from real trust, since trust is built due to necessity or a lack of options.The findings of this study highlight the significance of fitting the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the IT workforce with the organizational requirements.This fit is verifiably demonstrated to enhance the relationship level of trust among colleagues by fostering knowledge exchange among coworkers.Conversely, the fit of the organizational culture, values, and personality has not significantly impacted the relationship between trust and knowledge transfer.In many research findings, once trust is established, knowledge transfer activities will improve, which in turn makes the organization highly innovative and competitive (Ganguly, Talukdar, & Chatterjee, 2019;Ibidunni, Kolawole, Olokundun, & Ogbari, 2020;Lombardi, 2019;Secundo, Toma, Schiuma, & Passiante, 2019;Sikombe & Phiri, 2019).
The results suggest that the IT workforce tends to be more inclined toward an individualistic culture and places a higher value on the skills, expertise, and abilities needed to execute their technological job's duties and responsibilities.Nonetheless, it is important to note that organizational culture and values must be considered.Organizations will always possess such elements, as evidenced by standard operating procedures, a vision, and a mission that reflects the organizational culture.Nonetheless, when examining the role of the IT workforce, its KSA becomes a key consideration, particularly in labor recruitment.Opting for recruitment based on the PJ-fit theory and concept may be more suitable when looking for an employee with a strong emphasis on expertise.However, organizations need to be aware of maintaining employees with a high level of KSA, because IT staff (knowledge workers) have a high tendency toward the turnover intention (Chang & Hsu, 2016;Chang, Chi, & Chuang, 2010;Lo, 2015).The knowledge transfer is not implemented if the employee leaves the workplace before the knowledge is successfully acquired.
In this study, the conclusions drawn indicate that personnel within specialized divisions, such as an organization's information technology (IT) department, exhibit a higher necessity for advanced knowledge, skills, and competencies, compared to other organizational departments.As long as the recruited staff can conform to the organizational procedures and standard operating protocols, and align with the entity's vision and mission, they can assimilate into the organization's culture and work environment.PJ-fit and PO-fit can be related to the social exchange theory by considering the individual's fit with the work and organization as factors that influence the individual's interaction, commitment, and contribution in the context of social relationships in the workplace, so that this will give individuals the confidence to contribute more to the knowledge of the organization.Therefore, referring to the results of this study, it can be concluded that when PJ-fit significantly strengthens the relationship between trust and knowledge transfer, and PO-fit is not significant in strengthening trust in knowledge transfer, it does not mean that PJ-fit plays a single role.POfit still has its role; regardless of when employees are recruited, they must follow the company's SOP, rules, habits, and values, whether they like it or not.
The solution offered to determine the most efficient way to make the organization active in knowledge transfer activities that are trusted in the organization or specialized department (IT department), is to revise the recruitment and evaluation system of the employees, as well as creating an organization that values openness of information and knowledge from the bottom to the top.The organization must ensure that the KSAs fit the needs, in terms of recruitment and selection of the employees (internal or external).Therefore, recruitment based on PJ-fit may be more suitable when looking for an employee with a strong emphasis on expertise.However, finding IT staff is difficult since the labor market cannot fulfill every organization's needs (Lo, 2015).Therefore, organizations can engage with the education industry to obtain and pay attention to talented individuals who have the potential to be recruited to fill the organization's needs regarding KSAs and individual values.The collaboration can also involve developing a curriculum that fits the needs.Furthermore, organizations need to avoid employees who have had trust issues in sharing knowledge in the past (see, Bailey & Stefaniak, 2000;Lo, 2015).Furthermore, ensuring organizational changes occur that can make employees believe that the people around them are trustworthy and competent people, so that the KSAs belong to all the organization's members, and are not just their own.However, no matter how well the system and changes are made, it cannot make 100% of the acquired knowledge available.However, at least trusted knowledge transfer activities can make employees more comfortable and secure in sharing their knowledge assets.For instance, Nokia's business transformation, as a company that emphasizes the freedom to express ideas, opinions, suggestions, and feedback has enabled it to recover from the downturn in its mobile phone business (Aspara, Lamberg, Laukia, & Tikkanen, 2011).
However, this study also exhibits several limitations.The data collection methodology, which relies on individual perspectives, may introduce bias in the results.Despite efforts to mitigate any bias, it cannot be eliminated.Furthermore, the scope of this study is limited to IT departments, making it difficult to generalize the findings beyond this specific population, or to other groups with similar working practices.This study did not study the number of companies and the scale of the companies involved.This may produce less robust results, due to differences in the type of company and the company's scale; further research should address this.

Figure 2
Figure 2 displays the research model, which summarizes the relationship between the variables and the corresponding hypotheses that have been developed.

Table 1 .
Convergent Validity and Internal Consistency

Table 2 .
Profile of Respondent