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An Empirical Investigation of Personal and Social Factors on Knowledge Sharing in China

Wang, Xiaoyan (2010) An Empirical Investigation of Personal and Social Factors on Knowledge Sharing in China.

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Abstract:Knowledge sharing is widely recognized that it can promote the competitive ability of an organization and it has been the focus of research for more than a decade. Recently, there has been a growing interest in examining the factors that support or hinder one’s knowledge sharing behavior. However, still very few studies examined them from both personal and social perspective. Moreover, in comparison with other countries, relatively little work on this topic has been done in the Chinese context. In order to deepen our understanding of the personal and social factors that increase or lessen employee’s knowledge sharing behavior in Chinese context, we developed a theoretical model to explain it in this study. The Theory of Reasoned Action and Social Exchange Theory are used in this study, as are the social information processing theory. Through a survey of 136 employees from five IT companies in China, we confirmed our hypothesis that attitude toward and subjective norms regarding to knowledge sharing affected individuals’ intentions to share knowledge. We also found that subjective norms and anticipated reciprocal relationship had a positive effect on individuals’ attitudes toward knowledge sharing while loss of knowledge power had a negative effect on individuals’ attitudes toward knowledge sharing. Moreover, both identification and compliance affected subjective norms regarding to knowledge sharing. Theoretical and practical implications, as well as directions for future research, are discussed.
Item Type:Essay (Master)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:85 business administration, organizational science
Programme:Business Administration MSc (60644)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/60181
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