In today’s rapidly evolving economy, organizations increasingly rely on digital knowledge management (DKM) to fuel innovation and improve performance. However, limited research has explored the sequential mechanisms through which DKM practices generate value. This study addresses this gap by proposing and empirically testing a serial mediation model where innovation serves as the central conduit linking three DKM components—(i) Digital Knowledge Storage (DKNST), (ii) Digital Knowledge-Sharing (DKNSH), and (iii) Knowledge Utilization Through Digital Technologies (KNUTDTs)—to Perceived Organizational Performance (PERPOP). Drawing on the Knowledge-Based View (KBV), Resource-Based View (RBV), and Organizational Learning Theory (OLT), a multi-firm online organizational survey was conducted using data collected from 245 respondents across 127 service organizations in Kuwait. Validated instruments were used, and analysis involved Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis, followed by Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to test the complete digital knowledge lifecycle, beginning from archival storage to innovation and organizational performance. Results reveal that DKM practices do not directly impact performance; instead, their effects are fully mediated by innovation. Four distinct mediation pathways were confirmed, underscoring the importance of integrating digital storage, sharing, and utilization into a unified, innovation-driven process. This research advances the conceptualization of DKM as a dynamic process and highlights innovation as the pivotal mechanism for translating digital knowledge into performance outcomes.

Based on survey responses from public‑sector workers and the IT contractors who work with them (N = 196 for analyses), we explore how remote work is related to satisfaction through autonomy, career plateau, and trust, and the degree to which remote work serves to buffer the negative link between plateau and satisfaction. Results reveal a positive direct effect of remote work on job satisfaction (b=0.114, p=.011), with autonomy mediating a beneficial indirect path (b=0.025, p<.05) and career plateau exacerbating a negative indirect path (b=−0.087, p<.05). Trust does not emerge as a significant mediator, but remote work moderates the negative association between career plateau and satisfaction (b=0.173, p=.010), suggesting a buffering effect. The parallel-mediation model explains 39.7% of the variance in job satisfaction, highlighting the complex interplay between flexibility and career stagnation. These findings combine the work‑design and career‑plateau perspectives: remote working recrafts resources (autonomy) and constraints (plateau) together. Implications entail balancing schedule/location freedom with explicit development trajectories and visibility cues for those who are remote. Our findings contribute to theory by delineating when remote work acts as a resource or constraint, while offering practical insights for organizations navigating hybrid work models.