Inner knowledge management, an innovative model for managers and decision makers

Purpose - This study seeks to enhance productivity, motivation and well-being of workers by improving decision-making processes. Using inner knowledge management (IKM), this study aims to identify, manage and transform unconscious beliefs and negative emotions that limit decision-making processes. Design/methodology/approach - The methodology used is empirical research, analyzing multiple cases qualitatively and using theT-test statistical model to analyze the hypotheses. The study tests the relation between different limiting beliefs and negative emotions that influence decision-making processes. Findings - This study shows that IKM is positively related to the productivity, motivation and well-being of workers. Research limitations/implications - The study is limited to workers who are mentally healthy, who work in teams and who seek professional help to achieve their goals. Practical implications - The results indicate that there is a lot of potential to be explored applying IKM in companies and organizations. Specifically, this study proves that there are several inner knowledge assets that constrain the workers’ potential and therefore affect the efficiency of businesses. Social implications - The results have strong implications for how companies and organizations can create great value for themselves and their workers. Originality/value - To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first data-based study using an IKM model. The importance of this study opens the door to further exploration of the effects on IKM on productivity, motivation and the general well-being of workers.