What Makes Knowledge Sharing in Organizations Tick? — An Empirical Study

Abstract

Abstract This study 1 aims to understand the social and organizational factors that influence knowledge sharing. A model of knowledge management and knowledge sharing was developed inspired by the work of Nahapiet and Ghoshal (1998). Data on demographics and various social capital measures were collected from a sample of members of a tertiary educational institution in Singapore in 2003. Reward & recognition, open-mindedness and cost concerns of knowledge hoarding turned out to be the strongest predictors of knowledge sharing rather than pro-social motives or organizational concern. Individuals who are highly competent in their work abilities are less likely to share what they know when they perceive that there are few rewards or when sharing is not recognized by the organization. Overall, the findings provide evidence for the importance of a conducive organizational climate and state-of-the art performance management systems to ensure a successful transition from a ‘knowledge is power culture’ to a high-performing organization where knowledge sharing represents a key enabler of improved business performance.

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