International Journal of Nonlinear Analysis and Applications

Investigating the dimensions of measuring the maturity of customer knowledge management in Iran's rail transportation industry with a partial least squares approach

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Department of Management, Bonab Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bonab, Iran

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to design a model for measuring the maturity of customer knowledge management in the rail transportation industry (Railway Company). The present research is descriptive-correlative in terms of applied purpose and terms of research method. The statistical sample size was 355 people and was selected by stratified random sampling. Data collection tools were the study of literature, articles, dissertations, etc. in the field and in line with the research. From the results of these studies, a questionnaire was designed that measures the maturity of customer knowledge management in the rail transport industry emphasising three factors (organizational, process, and instrumental) and 64 items whose validity is confirmed by content validity and their reliability is confirmed by Cronbach's alpha. Structural equation modeling (SEM), and partial least squares (Smart PLS 3.3) were used to test the hypotheses. In this section, the indices of mean, extracted variance, Cronbach's alpha, combined reliability, convergent validity, coefficient $R^{2}$, $t$ were used. The results of the partial least squares test indicate the confirmation of the research hypotheses, and based on this, the measurement model and the structural model had a statistically appropriate fit. The results showed that the dimensions of customer knowledge management maturity include (process, organizational and instrumental) and have been implemented in the Railway Company of the Islamic Republic of Iran and according to the results of this research, suggestions for its development were provided to managers, specialists and experts.

Keywords

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International Journal of Nonlinear Analysis and Applications
Volume 16, Issue 12
December 2025
Pages 61-74
  • Receive Date: 21 March 2023
  • Accept Date: 02 May 2023