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Determinants of knowledge seeking in professional virtual communities
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As knowledge management systems within organisations, professional virtual communities (PVCs) are popular knowledge-seeking tools, which bring together geographically dispersed members from outside of the organisations. An increasing number of employees use PVCs for knowledge seeking, knowledge exchange and problem solving at work. Why do members choose to receive knowledge from other community members in PVCs needs to be understood. This paper extends Ajzen's [1991. The theory of planned behaviour. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50 (2), 179–211] theory of planned behaviour to elicit external beliefs in terms of personal motivation, as well as technological and social factors, and to examine the relative importance of these factors. According to this study's online survey of 323 members in three PVCs, the results show that the significance of beliefs, such as system quality, compatibility, trust, knowledge growth and knowledge quality, in creating positive attitudes towards knowledge seeking. Community identification is shown as a salient belief for the subjective norms of knowledge seeking. System quality and resource availability are revealed as important determinants for perceived behavioural control of knowledge seeking. Knowledge-seeking intention is based on the attitude towards knowledge seeking and the subjective norm of knowledge seeking, whereas knowledge-seeking behaviour is solely determined by knowledge-seeking intention. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
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... Previous scholars have frequently applied TPB to elucidate and comprehend the intentions Tertiary academics' personality traits and behaviors of individuals concerning KS (Bock et al., 2005;Tohidinia and Mosakhani, 2010;Fauzi et al., 2018a, b), including academics (Goh and Sandhu, 2013;Jolaee et al., 2014;Raza and Awang, 2020), banking employees (Chatzoglou and Vraimaki, 2009;Abdillah et al., 2018), healthcare personnel (Alhalhouli et al., 2014), school teachers (Zeinabadi, 2022), parttime students (Wu and Zhu, 2012), employees in the oil industry (Tohidinia and Mosakhani, 2010) and other employees in various organizations (e.g. Bock et al., 2005;Lai et al., 2014;Jeon et al., 2011). The findings from prior studies reveal that TPB significantly impacts KS behavior among these various groups. ...
... Swanson et al., 2020;Ghahtarani et al., 2020;Chang and Hsu, 2016;Huang, 2016) to comprehend and clarify a diverse range of phenomena. Prior research has integrated TPB/ TRA with SCT to comprehend respondents' intentions and behavior (Wu and Zhu, 2012;Chow and Chan, 2008;Lai et al., 2014). Accordingly, the current study recognizes the transformative role of SCT variables, such as trust and social network and aims to examine their impact on academics' personalities in relation to their KSB with greater tenacity and sophistication. ...
... At the same time, academics' networking within the HLI context pertains to the relationships within and outside the campus with other academics (Kim and Lee, 2006). A CoP (Mailizar et al., 2022) and professional virtual communities (Lai et al., 2014) are two increasingly accepted types of social networking among academics. These modalities facilitate KS by acting as unofficial platforms for experts to interact and exchange knowledge among peers with similar interests and professions (Hung et al., 2015). ...
Purpose
The research aims to provide a nuanced understanding of the complex social, psychological and organizational factors that serve as the foundation driving academics' knowledge-sharing behavior (KSB) within an academic enclave.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional research design using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach was employed to examine the determinants of personality traits among tertiary academics in Malaysia in relation to their KSB. To this end, a self-administered survey was distributed to a sample group of 526 respondents.
Findings
It is evident that conscientiousness and agreeableness are the personality traits that play a significant role in promoting KSB among academics in higher learning institutions (HLIs). These personality traits are positively linked with academics' willingness to transfer and receive knowledge. In contrast, the personality trait of openness to experience does not significantly influence KSB.
Research limitations/implications
This study has employed a four-item measurement for evaluating the three distinct personality traits. Despite employing a brief measurement tool, the study has demonstrated significant reliability and validity, particularly in terms of convergent and discriminant validity.
Practical implications
The present study has revealed that conscientiousness in academics is intimately linked with their KSB, which is of paramount importance in the output-based education system. Notably, agreeableness among academics also conveys a positive effect on knowledge sharing (KS) in HLIs, as it cultivates trust and helpfulness among individuals and facilitates the exchange of valuable tacit knowledge.
Originality/value
This research explores the relationship between personality traits and KSB among Malaysian academics in HLIs. The study adopts the theories of planned behavior (TPB) and social capital theory (SCT) as theoretical ground, providing a nuanced understanding of the underlying motivations and mechanisms driving academics' knowledge-sharing behavior within the unique socio-cultural context of Southeast Asia.
... Norm_like_me; however, it did not reach a level considered 'somewhat' positive for attitude towards the behaviour. This modest level of Intention could have been due to the intention defined as collaborating regularly instead of arguably lower threshold intentions such as willingness and readiness (Do et al., 2021;Park & Yang, 2012;Stols et al., 2015), knowledge-seeking and sharing (Chen et al., 2009;Jeon et al., 2011;Lai et al., 2014), and continuing to engage in an online learning community (Cui et al., 2022). Nonetheless, the findings indicate the need to raise Intention, particularly to counter the diminishing returns when intention is translated into actual behaviours (Ajzen & Schmidt, 2020). ...
This study employs the Theory of Planned Behaviour to investigate mathematics teachers' beliefs regarding their intention to collaborate regularly in an online community. The central premise is that initiating such a community necessitates an implementation strategy informed by a better understanding of underlying beliefs influencing teachers' participation intention. Accordingly, this research examines the intention of Australian mathematics teachers (N = 430) to engage in an online community proposed by their peak state-based professional association. Central to this study, participants' intentions to engage in regular collaboration predominantly ranged from 'somewhat disagree' to 'agree', with the average rating approaching 'somewhat agree', highlighting the need for targeted strategies to increase this intention. A prominent finding was that participants' attitudes towards regular collaboration were the strongest predictor of their intention to participate. While participants felt somewhat in control of their collaboration behaviour, this perception did not directly influence their intention; instead, it mediated the influence of subjective approval from others and personal attitudes on their intention. Demographic factors and past online community experiences had far less impact on predicting intentions than the Theory of Planned Behaviour beliefs. Notably, the subjective norm related to perceived approval from others was rated the highest, whereas the norm related to others' actual behaviour received the lowest ratings, reflecting a significant divergence in the perception of social approval versus actual behaviour. These findings culminate in implications for interventions and extend the application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour, enhancing knowledge about factors impacting teachers' engagement in online communities.
... A sample item is, "I can handle the situation of my campus WiFi coverage (e.g., speed and connectivity)." Scale 5 measured students' intentions to develop competencies with three items (Lai et al., 2014); an example item is, "I intend to seek knowledge through my degree program." All 19 items were measured on a 5point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). ...
Based on an extensive review of literature pertaining to student competencies, this study addresses a critical gap by examining the determinants influencing university students' intentions to enhance their competencies. Specifically, utilizing structural equation modeling with AMOS, the research investigates the roles of attitudes, autonomy support, and perceived behavioral control among 381 postgraduates enrolled in the education department across three public universities in Nigeria. The findings underscore that positive attitudes towards extracurricular activities and the level of autonomy support received significantly bolster students' intentions to develop competencies. However, the impact of perceived behavioral control on the intention to develop competences was negative but significant. This investigation thus provides nuanced insights into the psychological dynamics that shape competence development intentions within the academic sphere, particularly among university students.
... Also, studies in the literature report that resource-facilitating settings mark the KMSs' usage for knowledge seeking (Bock et al., 2010). Lai et al. study findings show optimum resource availability facilitates knowledge searchers when using EKR (Lai et al., 2014). Hence, when individuals are offered resources to use EKR, they are more prospective for resource usage to search explicit knowledge, which requires a reduced amount of effort. ...
Purpose: This study intends to examine the factors that impact the intention and actual usage of Electronic Knowledge Repositories (EKR) by knowledge seekers in the Indian software sector. The study examines how perceived utility, perceived output quality, resource availability, and perceived organisational structure support influence the adoption of EKR. Design/methodology/approach: The data were gathered from 505 employees in 27 software engineering companies in the National Capital Region (NCR) of India using a self-administered survey. The study employed structural equation modelling (SEM) to examine the connections among the variables. Findings: The findings suggest that perceived usefulness, perceived output quality, resource availability, and reported organisational structure support have a favourable impact on the desire to adopt EKR. Using EKR favourably influences its utilisation by knowledge seekers in the Indian software sector. Research limitations/implications: The study focussed exclusively on the software sector in the NCR area of India, perhaps restricting the applicability of the results. Future studies should examine more variables that impact EKR adoption and study various organisational contexts. Practical implications: The research indicates that organisations should prioritise improving the perceived utility of EKR, assuring high output quality, allocating sufficient resources for EKR access, and maintaining supporting organisational structures to encourage EKR adoption among knowledge seekers. Originality/value: This study experimentally investigates the characteristics that influence EKR adoption in the Indian software sector, contributing to existing literature. The results offer useful insights for firms looking to enhance their knowledge management strategies by effectively utilising EKR.
... In more advanced online communities, professional virtual communities have become a platform for members to use for knowledge sharing to solve problems at work. Lai et al. (2014) discovered that system quality, compatibility, knowledge growth and quality and trust were crucial in developing a positive attitude toward knowledge seeking in professional virtual communities. Like professional virtual communities, social Q&A sites consist of multiple online communities comprising millions of registered users. ...
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to review the role of knowledge-sharing and its association with the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). TPB is the most used theory in understanding knowledge-sharing behavior in many contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the bibliometric approach, this study extracted and analyzed 229 journal articles on the Web of Science. In addition, two analyses (bibliographic coupling and co-word) were performed to provide science mapping in presenting the knowledge structure on the present and future research direction on knowledge-sharing and TPB.
Findings
The findings of this study suggest that two stand-out clusters are determinants and antecedents of knowledge-sharing behavior based on TPB and the role of the virtual platform and social media in facilitating knowledge-sharing among users.
Research limitations/implications
This study will benefit researchers and scholars in studying individual behavioral traits underpinning TPB in achieving organizational excellence.
Originality/value
This study extends the findings of the previous review because of their limitations on methods. This study confirms the determinants of knowledge-sharing intention and behavior. However, this study suggests integrating TPB with other theories to provide more insights into knowledge-sharing behavior and use online and technology-based platforms to facilitate knowledge-sharing behavior.
Knowledge resides in individuals’ minds. Even though knowledge seeking is a key motivation for individuals to participate in social media, it is still a challenge. This study aims at understanding knowledge seeking in the context of social media mobile apps from the perspectives of communication competence and communication visibility. Methodologically, this study follows the paradigm of theory driven empirical research. A research model was developed drawing on prior theories and literature. Data were collected from users of social media mobile apps. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used for data analysis. It was found that Transactive Memory System (TMS) is a valid second-order construct. Moreover, from the perspective of communication competence, communication competence positively impacts TMS which further influences knowledge seeking. From the perspective of communication visibility, exposure to content of other’s messages has a positive effect on TMS. The individual effect of perceived anonymity of knowledge seeking on knowledge seeking exhibits positive and significant, which is however overpowered by TMS. Antecedents of TMS highlight the importance of communication by which TMS can be developed collectively within social memory systems. When TMS is higher, users are more likely to trust and coordinate with each other, and know how to access the expert, with the hope of resolving the challenge of knowledge seeking. This study could motivate developers of social media to consider intelligent technologies to enhance users’ communication competence. It could motivate them to design different scenarios of communication visibility.
Purpose
This research explores project manager (PM) behavior in their professional virtual communities (PVCs), using social identity theory as a theoretical foundation. The purpose is to examine the extent to which PMs seek information on key topics in the Project Management Body of Knowledge Guide (PMBoK).
Design/methodology/approach
A text data analytics methodology that uses quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques is followed. The research method reveals relationships in language-based data gathered from six project management forums and blogs.
Findings
Information related to all the PMBoK topics is sought in the project management virtual communities. People management topics account for a dominant portion of interactions. The findings enhance social identification theorizing for the PM role. From a practical standpoint, the findings shed light on focal areas for greater emphasis in PM PVCs.
Originality/value
Our people management finding constructively replicates existing findings via a large, global sample and strengthens calls for increased focus on people management matters in project management. As a result, we call for increased scholarly attention to people management in project management. Finally, we encourage pursuit of several research questions to enhance knowledge of PM information-seeking behavior.
Purpose
This study employed self-determination theory (SDT) and the “Motivational affordance–Psychological outcomes–Behavioral outcomes” framework to investigate the relationship between gamification features and knowledge-sharing behavior in online communities.
Design/methodology/approach
A theoretical model was tested with 281 Chinese users from an online social question and answer (Q&A) community. Partial least square structural equation modeling was applied to analyze the data.
Findings
The empirical results revealed that competence mediated the effects of immersion and achievement-related gamification features on knowledge sharing. Moreover, relatedness mediated the effects of immersion, achievement and social-related gamification features on knowledge sharing.
Research limitations/implications
This study was conducted on a Chinese Q&A platform, and the results may not be generalizable to other cultures or service providers with different goals.
Practical implications
The study's findings indicate that gamification could serve as an effective toolkit for incentivizing and promoting knowledge sharing in online communities. The findings thus provide strategic insights for administrators of online communities seeking to leverage gamification designs to encourage user participation in knowledge-sharing activities.
Originality/value
Research on the role of gamification in promoting knowledge sharing has been limited in scope and has focused on tourism comment communities. Little evidence exists on the effect of gamification within social Q&A communities. Further, the finding of gamification's positive role in motivating knowledge sharing indicates the need for the knowledge-sharing field to focus on contextual factors.
Purpose
Online customer communities have become a strategic tool for business-to-business (B2B) firms to drive collaboration among customers around the company’s products and services. This paper aims to argue that the three social capital dimensions, that is, structural, relational and cognitive, themselves driven by brand community trust, can affect brand loyalty for the organization.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use a survey to collect data and structural equation modeling to test the conceptual framework by collecting data from 214 participants across three online B2B communities operated by three technology firms in India.
Findings
Brand community trust is found to have a strong association with social network ties, identification and norm of reciprocity and shared vision. These three have concomitant effects on the quality of customer-to-customer (C2C) interactions. Such communication generates functional, emotional and social benefits, which, in turn, curate brand loyalty.
Practical implications
The authors’ findings guide community managers in leveraging such conversations in shaping customer loyalty for the corporate brand.
Originality/value
This work provides an integrated framework to explain the important role of C2C interactions in B2B online brand communities.
The statistical tests used in the analysis of structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error are examined. A drawback of the commonly applied chi square test, in addition to the known problems related to sample size and power, is that it may indicate an increasing correspondence between the hypothesized model and the observed data as both the measurement properties and the relationship between constructs decline. Further, and contrary to common assertion, the risk of making a Type II error can be substantial even when the sample size is large. Moreover, the present testing methods are unable to assess a model's explanatory power. To overcome these problems, the authors develop and apply a testing system based on measures of shared variance within the structural model, measurement model, and overall model.
Scholars of the theory of the firm have begun to emphasize the sources and conditions of what has been described as “the organizational advantage,” rather than focus on the causes and consequences of market failure. Typically, researchers see such organizational advantage as accruing from the particular capabilities organizations have for creating and sharing knowledge. In this article we seek to contribute to this body of work by developing the following arguments: (1) social capital facilitates the creation of new intellectual capital; (2) organizations, as institutional settings, are conducive to the development of high levels of social capital; and (3) it is because of their more dense social capital that firms, within certain limits, have an advantage over markets in creating and sharing intellectual capital. We present a model that incorporates this overall argument in the form of a series of hypothesized relationships between different dimensions of social capital and the main mechanisms and processes necessary for the creation of intellectual capital.
The focus of this study is to examine the motivations of online community members to share information and rumors. We investigated an online community of interest, the members of which voluntarily associate and communicate with people with similar interests. Community members, posters and lurkers alike, were surveyed on the influence of extrinsic and intrinsic motivations, as well as normative influences, on their willingness to share information and rumors with others. The results indicated that posters and lurkers are differently motivated by intrinsic factors to share, and that extrinsic rewards like improved reputation and status-building within the community are motivating factors for rumor mongering. The results are discussed and future directions for this area of research are offered.