Objective: The primary objective of this study was to examine the mediating role of transactive memory systems (TMS) in the relationship between team identification and team learning within Human Resource Management (HRM) teams operating in Iranian public sector organizations.

Method: Drawing on social identity theory and the socio-cognitive perspective on team functioning, a mediated model was proposed and tested. Data were collected from 72 HRM teams working in public sector organizations in Tehran, Iran. Team members completed validated self-report measures assessing team identification, the three dimensions of TMS (specialization, credibility, and coordination), and team learning. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, controlling for team size, team tenure, task interdependence, and team leader support.

Results: The results provided full support for all eight hypotheses. Team identification positively and significantly influenced specialization, credibility, and coordination. In turn, each TMS dimension positively affected team learning, with coordination demonstrating the strongest effect. Importantly, TMS partially mediated the relationship between team identification and team learning. Additionally, team identification had a significant direct positive effect on team learning.

Conclusions: This study identifies team identification as a critical social antecedent of TMS and extends the generalizability of these relationships to the non-Western public sector context. The findings highlight that team identification enhances team learning both directly and indirectly through the development of shared cognitive structures (specialization, credibility, and coordination). For practitioners, cultivating team identity alongside developing transactive memory systems within HRM teams is essential for fostering learning and improving organizational effectiveness in public sector settings.