The Role of Basic Human Values in Knowledge Sharing: How Values Shape the Postadoptive Use of Electronic Knowledge Repositories

Abstract

A growing body of literature examines how to elicit knowledge contributions to electronic knowledge repositories (EKRs) with the goal of helping organizations increase implementation benefits. While this literature has explained in detail the initial EKR adoption by knowledge contributors, it has not yet examined the drivers of postadoptive EKR usage for contributing knowledge. Postadoptive EKR usage, such as innovative feature use, can potentially result in richer contributions to EKRs. To aid understanding of how to unlock the benefits of EKRs for organizations, this study examines the impact of basic human values on one type of postadoptive behavior that goes well beyond basic usage: trying to innovate with EKR features. We develop a research model that integrates human values and trying to innovate with EKRs, suggesting that human values indicate modes of independent thought and action and can lead to attempts to innovate in EKR use by increasing the frequency of EKR usage. Data collected from 233 knowledge workers support the model. Our findings shed light on how to encourage innovative EKR usage and underscore the importance of human values for the success of knowledge management initiatives.

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