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Recognising Influences on Attitudes to Knowledge Sharing in a Research Establishment

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Abstract

Knowledge sharing in organizations is influenced by several interconnecting factors, but there is little written on the individual perspective of those involved in sharing. An interpretivist, action research methodology was used to help members of a research organization determine what knowledge means for them and the knowledge sharing issues they face. Their shared Appreciations were that although they believed “knowledge-as-practice” was an essential aspect of their work, it was undervalued by the organization's clients and fund-holders, causing difficulties for the maintenance of knowledge capability, and influencing organizational subcultures. These included a “you should know” subculture and a risk-averse subculture, where staff perceive that there is a tendency to assign blame rather than to accept and learn from errors. An officially mandated culture of knowledge sharing is subverted by these subcultures, affecting individuals' motivation to share their tacit knowledge, their self-efficacy and consequent sharing behaviours.

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Contemporary organizations require a strong learning orientation to gain competitive advantage. Based on in-depth interviews with senior executives and a review of the literature, the present investigation delineates four components of learning orientation: commitment to learning, shared vision, open-mindedness, and intraorganizational knowledge sharing. A framework is tested using data from a broad spectrum of US industries. Learning orientation is conceptualized as a second-order construct. Its effect on firm innovativeness, which in turn affects firm performance, is examined. The results generally support theoretical predictions, and some interesting findings emerge.
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There has been a growing interest in examining the factors that support or hinder one's knowledge sharing behavior in the virtual communities. However, still very few studies examined them from both personal and environmental perspectives. In order to explore the knowledge sharing behaviors within the virtual communities of professional societies, this study proposed a social cognitive theory (SCT)-based model that includes knowledge sharing self-efficacy and outcome expectations for personal influences, and multi-dimensional trusts for environmental influences. The proposed research model was then evaluated with structural equation modeling, and confirmatory factor analysis was also applied to test if the empirical data conform to the proposed model.
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Despite the importance of the software industry, little research using social cognitive perspective has focused on the software industry. This study thus examines key factors, including self-efficacy, expectancy theory and organizational climate, on the software workers to intent to share knowledge, using a social cognitive framework. Programmers and software workers in Taiwan were surveyed to test the proposed research model. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) technique were used to analyze the data and evaluate the research model. Results showed that that the research model fit the data well and the main determinants of knowledge-sharing behavior were the encouraging intentions of knowledge intensive workers. We confirm our hypothesis that knowledge sharing self-efficacy and outcome expectancy, as well as organizational climate, will affect individual intentions to share knowledge. Additionally, organizational climate and perceived managerial incentive were found to positively encourage knowledge-sharing behavior. Research and practical implications are described.
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The success of knowledge management initiatives depends on knowledge sharing. This paper reviews qualitative and quantitative studies of individual-level knowledge sharing. Based on the literature review we developed a framework for understanding knowledge sharing research. The framework identifies five areas of emphasis of knowledge sharing research: organizational context, interpersonal and team characteristics, cultural characteristics, individual characteristics, and motivational factors. For each emphasis area the paper discusses the theoretical frameworks used and summarizes the empirical research results. The paper concludes with a discussion of emerging issues, new research directions, and practical implications of knowledge sharing research.
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The biggest challenge in fostering a virtual community is the supply of knowledge, namely the willingness to share knowledge with other members. This paper integrates the Social Cognitive Theory and the Social Capital Theory to construct a model for investigating the motivations behind people's knowledge sharing in virtual communities. The study holds that the facets of social capital — social interaction ties, trust, norm of reciprocity, identification, shared vision and shared language — will influence individuals' knowledge sharing in virtual communities. We also argue that outcome expectations — community-related outcome expectations and personal outcome expectations — can engender knowledge sharing in virtual communities. Data collected from 310 members of one professional virtual community provide support for the proposed model. The results help in identifying the motivation underlying individuals' knowledge sharing behavior in professional virtual communities. The implications for theory and practice and future research directions are discussed.
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This paper reports the results of a qualitative study of motivation and barriers to employee participation in virtual knowledge-sharing communities of practice at Caterpillar Inc., a Fortune 100, multinational corporation. The study indicates that, when employees view knowledge as a public good belonging to the whole organization, knowledge flows easily. However, even when individuals give the highest priority to the interests of the organization and of their community, they tend to shy away from contributing knowledge for a variety of reasons. Specifically, employees hesitate to contribute out of fear of criticism, or of misleading the community members (not being sure that their contributions are important, or completely accurate, or relevant to a specific discussion). To remove the identified barriers, there is a need for developing various types of trust, ranging from the knowledge-based to the institution-based trust. Future research directions and implications for KM practitioners are formulated.
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To better understand Nonaka’s SECI model of knowledge creation and its constraints, we revisit the fundamental points of tacit knowledge in the model and provide a critical review on the role of tacit knowledge in business organization. First, the “tacitness” of knowledge is broken down into two parts: implicitness and real tacitness. We argue that the tacit dimension of knowledge in the context of the model is different from that in Polanyi’s original context; it actually includes considerable “implicitness” idiosyncratic in Japanese context. The separation of implicitness from real tacitness suggests carefully considering the potentialities of “unveiling” the secrets of tacit knowledge in different contexts. Second, considering most cases for the model mainly came from certain Japanese manufacturing companies that more or less relates to assemble lines, it is necessary to be cautious when the model is extended for a broader application.
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Academic and practitioner interpretations of knowledge management are captured through a comprehensive taxonomy of knowledge models. How knowledge is absorbed raises the question as to whether focus should be placed on knowledge transfer or knowledge management. It is concluded that the contextual demands for knowledge application dictate which pathway to pursue.
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Ignoring the informal, non-canonical nature of knowledge sharing, including people's motivation, ability and opportunity to share knowledge, is one of the key causes of resistance to use knowledge-sharing tools. In order to improve knowledge sharing supported by information technology (IT), tools need to be embedded in the social networks of which it is part. This has implications for our knowledge on the design requirements of such socially embedded IT. The paper reviews tools that are designed for the purpose to foster social capital. We will then discuss what is needed for an IS design theory related to knowledge communities and how such a theory could incorporate social capital theory.
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Numerous scholars and practitioners claim that motivational factors can facilitate successful knowledge sharing. However, little empirical research has been conducted examining the different kinds of motivation (extrinsic and intrinsic) used to explain employee knowledge sharing behaviors. By integrating a motivational perspective into the theory of reasoned action (TRA), this study examines the role of both extrinsic (expected organizational rewards and reciprocal benefits) and intrinsic (knowledge self-efficacy and enjoyment in help- ing others) motivators in explaining employee knowledge sharing intentions. Based on a survey of 172 employ- ees from 50 large organizations in Taiwan, this study applies the structural equation modeling approach to investigate the research model. The results showed that motivational factors such as reciprocal benefits, knowledge self-efficacy, and enjoyment in helping others were significantly associated with employee knowl- edge sharing attitudes and intentions. However, expected organizational rewards did not significantly influ- ence employee attitudes and behavior intentions regarding knowledge sharing. Implications for organizations are discussed.
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Drawing on a social network perspective of organizational co- ordination, this paper investigates the effectiveness of coordi- nation mechanisms on knowledge sharing in intraorganizational networks that consist of both collaborative and competitive ties among organizational units. Internal knowledge sharing within a multiunit organization requires formal hierarchical structure and informal lateral relations as coordination mechanisms. Us- ing sociometric techniques, this paper analyzes how formal hi- erarchical structure and informal lateral relations influence knowledge sharing and how interunit competition moderates the association between such coordination mechanisms and knowledge sharing in a large, multiunit company. Results show that formal hierarchical structure, in the form of centralization, has a significant negative effect on knowledge sharing, and in- formal lateral relations, in the form of social interaction, have a significant positive effect on knowledge sharing among units that compete with each other for market share, but not among units that compete with each other for internal resources. (Knovvledge Sharing; Organi7ational Capability; Social Network Analysis) In today's multiunit organizations, many units are forced to both compete and cooperate with each other. This par- adox has become a major challenge for multiunit orga- nizations that seek to manage their internal knowledge flows. Organizational units like to learn from each other and benefit from new knowledge developed by other units. At the same time, these units have to compete with each other for internal resources and external market share. How can a multiunit organization coordinate its units and encourage them to share knowledge with their competitors inside the organization?
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This essay examines elements of a theory of organizational knowledge creation. To this end, a model for the management of the dynamic aspects of organizational knowledge is offered, using hands-on research and practical experience of Japanese firms. Two dimensions are examined to assess the importance of knowledge management: tacit and explicit knowledge. Four modes of knowledge creation through the interaction of tacit and explicit knowledge are presented: 1) socialization; 2) externalization; 3) internalization; and 4) combination. The process of organizational knowledge creation is also described in a corporate organizational setting. The model helps to explain how the knowledge of individuals, organizations, and societies can be enriched through the amplification of tacit and explicit knowledge of each. The key to this process is a joint creation of knowledge by both individuals and organizations. Organizations play an important role in mobilizing the tacit knowledge that individuals possess, as well as providing forums for knowledge creation through socialization, combination, externalization, and internalization. The concept of organizational knowledge creation allows for the development of a perspective that reaches beyond straightforward notions of organizational learning. Practical proposals, such as hypertext and middle-up-down management, are offered as modes of implementing more effective knowledge creation. (CBS)
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Different subsets of social networks may explain knowledge sharing outcomes in different ways. We found support for these arguments in an anlysis of a sample of 121 new-product development teams. Within-team and interunit networks had different effects on the outcomes of three knowledge-sharing phases: deciding whether to seek knowledge across subunits, search costs, and costs of transfers. These results suggest that research on knowledge sharing can be advanced by studying how multiple networks affect various phases of knowledge sharing