Analyzing the Interdependent Role of Network Centrality, Motivation and Ability in Knowledge Sharing (original) (raw)
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The Internet is a communication channel that allows individuals to share information and knowledge. However, it is not obvious why individuals share knowledge with strangers for no apparent benefit. What are the critical factors influencing such behavior? To attempt to understand this paradox, we combined the theories of social capital and individual motivation to investigate the factors influencing knowledge sharing behavior in a virtual community, applying a participant involvement concept to analyze the moderating effects of individual motivation on knowledge sharing behavior. By analyzing the results of a survey using a questionnaire, we found that altruism, identification, reciprocity, and shared language had a significant and positive effect on knowledge sharing. Reputation, social interaction, and trust had positive effects on the quality, but not the quantity, of shared knowledge. Participant involvement had a moderating effect on the relationship of altruism and the quantity of shared knowledge. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.
The study of the antecedents of knowledge sharing behavior
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the factors from environmental level and personal level influence the knowledge sharing behavior and community participation. This research study, which consisted of 394 valid respondents who were members of the Yambol online test community, used online survey to collect data. This research used the structural equation modeling to analyze the data with good model fit. Findings – The results of this research showed the following: the anticipated reciprocal relationship, norm of reciprocity, and anticipated extrinsic rewards had a significant and positive effect on knowledge sharing behavior, respectively; knowledge sharing behavior had a significant and positive effect on community participation; knowledge sharing self-efficacy was the mediator between anticipated extrinsic rewards and knowledge sharing behavior; and community identification moderated the relationship between knowledge sharing behavior and community participation. Research limitations/implications – This study was a cross-sectional study. Future research can employ a longitudinal study to conduct long-term observations of knowledge sharing behavioral changes among members of the Yambol online test community. Moreover, this study applied social cognitive theory as the basis to explore the antecedents of knowledge sharing behavior of members of the Yambol online test community. Future research can apply a broad range of behavioral theory or combinations of research variables to explore comprehensive factors of knowledge sharing behavior. Practical implications – From a managerial standpoint, this study can assist professional online learning community in understanding the antecedents of knowledge sharing behavior and community participation from personal and environmental level. Social implications – Yambol online test community managers can enhance reciprocity relationship between members in the emotional level. In addition, Yambol online test community managers can use the appropriate norm of reciprocity to strengthen the trust of community members and enhance the knowledge sharing behavior of community members in the rational level. Originality/value – First, most scholars viewed knowledge sharing from perspectives of corporate, organizational, or a typical internet community, but rarely applied a perspective from a professional online learning community to conduct research. Therefore, this research focussed on professional online learning community as the research subject. Second, the literature review revealed that reciprocity divided into anticipated reciprocal relationship and norm of reciprocity. Previous studies have used anticipated reciprocal relationship or norm of reciprocity as research aspects for examining Internet Research Vol. 26 No. 4, 2016 pp. 845-868 ©Emerald Group Publishing Limited 1066-2243 DOI 10.1108/IntR-10-2014-0256 Received 11 October 2014 Revised 4 December 2014 22 June 2015 8 August 2015 10 August 2015 Accepted 13 August 2015 The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: www.emeraldinsight.com/1066-2243.htm 845 Yambol online test community Downloaded by Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics At 08:50 11 July 2016 (PT) reciprocity; however, no other study has evaluated both concurrently. Third, studies on the behavioral dimension have included knowledge sharing behavior and community participation. This study examined the influence of knowledge sharing behavior on community participation. Additionally, community identification was the moderator of the effect of knowledge sharing behavior on community participation. Keywords Community participation, Anticipated extrinsic rewards, Anticipated reciprocal relationship, Knowledge sharing behaviour, Knowledge sharing self-efficacy, Norm of reciprocity
Knowledge Sharing in Non-Knowledge Intensive Organizations: When Social Networks do not Matter?
2011
Considerable attention has been paid to the network determinants of knowledge sharing. However, most, if not all, of the studies investigating the determinants of knowledge sharing are either focused on knowledge-intensive organizations such as consultancy firms or R&D organizations, or knowledge workers in regular organizations, while lesser knowledge intensive organizations or non-knowledge workers are rarely explored. This is a gap in the literature on social networks and knowledge sharing. In this paper, the relations between network determinants and actor determinants of knowledge sharing are empirically tested by means of a network survey in a less knowledge intensive organization, specifically employees of a Dutch department store chain. The results show that individual-level variables such as departmental commitment and enjoyment in helping others are the major determinants of individuals' knowledge sharing behavior, but none of the social network variables play a role. The results thus present an important boundary condition to social networks effects on knowledge sharing: social networks only seem to play a role in knowledge sharing for knowledge workers, not for blue-collar workers. Free Keywords knowledge sharing, social networks, non-knowledge intensive organizations Availability The ERIM Report Series is distributed through the following platforms:
Determinants of Knowledge Sharing Behavior
In the new global knowledge has become a central issue for organization's survival. Recently, in knowledge management (KM)-related research effective knowledge sharing (KS) is considered as a significant component of KM success. The importance of knowledge sharing in knowledge management can be interpreted as a blood circulating in the body. There has been a dramatically interest in examining the factors that encourage or hamper individual's knowledge sharing behavior in social network. Some theories such as Social Exchange Theory (SET), Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), Theory of Planned Behavior (TBP), and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) are vastly used to understand human behavior and are also considered as a critical base to understand individual's knowledge sharing behavior. For the present research, the authors intend to review the previous researches that explored different factors effect on knowledge sharing behavior. So, the purpose of this paper is to review r...
Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management, 2019
The purpose of this research is to better understand the interaction between notable structural and relational factors, which positively influence organizational knowledge sharing. Specifically, to investigate the effects of multiple dimensions of trust (i.e., competence-, integrity-, benevolence-based perceived trustworthiness) on the relationship between tie-strength and effective knowledge sharing. Knowledge sharing was examined in two ways, first through the knowledge receiver's perception of how useful the shared knowledge was, and second through their willingness to use that knowledge. Willingness to use was further classified into explicit and tacit forms of knowledge. A total of 275 surveys were collected from legal professionals, working on projects, at one of Canada's largest law firms. Data were analyzed using linear regression, mediation, and moderator analyses. The study revealed four main findings. The first was that strong ties lead to the receipt of useful knowledge. Second, both competence-and integrity-based trustworthiness strongly mediated the link between strong ties and receipt of useful knowledge. Third, when trust was taken into account, any positive effect of strong ties on the receipt of useful knowledge was removed. Fourth, the mediating effect of competence-based trustworthiness was of similar magnitude for willingness to use explicit and tacit knowledge. Practical implications suggest organizations should cultivate competence-and integrity-based trustworthiness and develop networks consisting of both weak and strong ties, balancing network density and range.
Motives for Social Collaboration in Knowledge Sharing Portals
2009
In a social knowledge cycle, knowledge generation, dissemination and absorption can be set on a platform like internet. With the globally dispersed population over the web, it is important to know how knowledge can act to be accessed and reinforced by its right audiences through social collaboration. This paper tries to pick up this cycle strands with focus on knowledge dissemination constituent. The research is based on the social perspective taking into account the motives which describe some of the causes and rationales behind knowledge sharing behavior in social networks. It analyzes the motives which have higher level of importance to social groups to share their knowledge and their social tendencies under motivational uncertainty condition.
Knowledge sharing networks and performance
The present investigation aims to analyse the relationship between knowledge sharing behaviours and performance. The former behaviours were studied using Social Network Analysis, in an attempt to characterise knowledge sharing networks. Through identification of central individuals in these networks, we made analysis of the association between this centrality and individual performance. A questionnaire was developed and applied to a sample of workers in a Portuguese organisation (N=244). The final conclusions point to a positive association between these behaviours and individual performance.
The Implications of Different Models of Social Relations for Understanding Knowledge Sharing
Organizations as Knowledge Systems, 2004
This paper explores how different models of social relations can contribute to a better understanding of the dynamics of knowledge sharing within different organizational settings. It is asserted that the dynamics of knowledge sharing is organized according to a mix of four relational models distinguished by the relation models theory (Fiske, 1991). It is described how each of these models (communal sharing, authority ranking, equality matching and market pricing) have their own implications for understanding and supporting the knowledge sharing process. What model of social relations is in use, is influenced by cultural implementation rules, the kind of activity with its division of labor and the characteristics of knowledge being shared and technologies being used. By knowing according to what relational model(s) knowledge is being shared, one can better understand and consequently better facilitate the organizational and technical conditions for sharing knowledge (and vice versa).