IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bpj/jossai/v3y2015i3p264-278n5.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

An Empirical Study of Employees’ Tacit Knowledge Sharing Behavior

Author

Listed:
  • Wang Juanru

    (School of Management, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an710072, China)

  • Yang Jin

    (School of Humanities, Economics and Law, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an710072, China)

Abstract

This paper is to investigate how employees’ tacit knowledge sharing behavior is influenced by various antecedents. We propose that tacit knowledge sharing consists of three specific behaviors (i.e., socialization, externalization, and internalization) and they are influenced by four antecedents (trust, self-efficacy, knowledge tacitness, and IT support). A survey was conducted to collect data from 258 knowledge workers who worked on complex product development projects. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. The results demonstrate that trust, self-efficacy, knowledge tacitness, and IT support significantly affect the externalization and internalization behaviors, and trust and IT support significantly affect the socialization behavior. This study is helpful to organizations where it is critical for employees to share tacit knowledge. It suggests that tacit knowledge is difficult to share and organizations should nurture mutual trust between employees, enhance their self-efficacy, and provide sufficient IT support so that they are more likely to engage in tacit knowledge sharing.

Suggested Citation

  • Wang Juanru & Yang Jin, 2015. "An Empirical Study of Employees’ Tacit Knowledge Sharing Behavior," Journal of Systems Science and Information, De Gruyter, vol. 3(3), pages 264-278, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:jossai:v:3:y:2015:i:3:p:264-278:n:5
    DOI: 10.1515/JSSI-2015-0264
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1515/JSSI-2015-0264
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1515/JSSI-2015-0264?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ann Majchrzak & Arvind Malhotra & Richard John, 2005. "Perceived Individual Collaboration Know-How Development Through Information Technology–Enabled Contextualization: Evidence from Distributed Teams," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 16(1), pages 9-27, March.
    2. Ikujiro Nonaka, 1994. "A Dynamic Theory of Organizational Knowledge Creation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 5(1), pages 14-37, February.
    3. Gee W. Bock & Young-Gul Kim, 2002. "Breaking the Myths of Rewards: An Exploratory Study of Attitudes about Knowledge Sharing," Information Resources Management Journal (IRMJ), IGI Global, vol. 15(2), pages 14-21, April.
    4. Margit Osterloh & Bruno S. Frey, 2000. "Motivation, Knowledge Transfer, and Organizational Forms," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 11(5), pages 538-550, October.
    5. Mohan Subramaniam & N. Venkatraman, 2001. "Determinants of transnational new product development capability: testing the influence of transferring and deploying tacit overseas knowledge," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(4), pages 359-378, April.
    6. Szulanski, Gabriel, 2000. "The Process of Knowledge Transfer: A Diachronic Analysis of Stickiness," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 82(1), pages 9-27, May.
    7. Eric von Hippel, 1994. ""Sticky Information" and the Locus of Problem Solving: Implications for Innovation," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 40(4), pages 429-439, April.
    8. Robert M. Grant, 1996. "Prospering in Dynamically-Competitive Environments: Organizational Capability as Knowledge Integration," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 7(4), pages 375-387, August.
    9. Udo Zander & Bruce Kogut, 1995. "Knowledge and the Speed of the Transfer and Imitation of Organizational Capabilities: An Empirical Test," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 6(1), pages 76-92, February.
    10. Michael J. Tippins & Ravipreet S. Sohi, 2003. "IT competency and firm performance: is organizational learning a missing link?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(8), pages 745-761, August.
    11. Andrew C. Inkpen & Adva Dinur, 1998. "Knowledge Management Processes and International Joint Ventures," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 9(4), pages 454-468, August.
    12. David Constant & Lee Sproull & Sara Kiesler, 1996. "The Kindness of Strangers: The Usefulness of Electronic Weak Ties for Technical Advice," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 7(2), pages 119-135, April.
    13. Renzl, Birgit, 2008. "Trust in management and knowledge sharing: The mediating effects of fear and knowledge documentation," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 206-220, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tzu-Hsin Liu & Yung-Chang Hsiao, 2019. "Fitting cooperative mode in inter-organizational strategic alliance: a perspective from innovative and financial performances," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 44(1), pages 73-96, February.
    2. Fascia, Michael, 2019. "WORKING PAPER SERIES PROJECT_2019: Study of Knowledge transfer principals," OSF Preprints w2uhg, Center for Open Science.
    3. Gabriel Szulanski & Dimo Ringov & Robert J. Jensen, 2016. "Overcoming Stickiness: How the Timing of Knowledge Transfer Methods Affects Transfer Difficulty," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 27(2), pages 304-322, April.
    4. Eden Yin & Yongjian Bao, 2006. "The acquisition of tacit knowledge in China: An empirical analysis of the ‘supplier-side individual level’ and ‘recipient-side’ factors," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 46(3), pages 327-348, June.
    5. Li, Xiaoqing & Roberts, Joanne & Yan, Yanni & Tan, Hui, 2014. "Knowledge sharing in China–UK higher education alliances," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(2), pages 343-355.
    6. Teo, Thompson S.H., 2012. "Knowledge management in client–vendor partnerships," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 451-458.
    7. Josef Windsperger & Nina Gorovaia, 2011. "Knowledge attributes and the choice of knowledge transfer mechanism in networks: the case of franchising," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 15(4), pages 617-640, November.
    8. Christine Holmström Lind & Olivia H. Kang, 2017. "The Value-Adding Role of the Corporate Headquarters in Innovation Transfer Processes: The Issue of Headquarters Knowledge Situation," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 57(4), pages 571-602, August.
    9. Sasmita Palo & Linu Charles, 2015. "Investigating Factors Affecting Knowledge Sharing Intention of Salespeople," Management and Labour Studies, XLRI Jamshedpur, School of Business Management & Human Resources, vol. 40(3-4), pages 302-324, August.
    10. Chia-Ling (Eunice) Liu, 2012. "Knowledge Mobility in Cross-Border Buyer-Supplier Relationships," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 52(2), pages 275-291, April.
    11. Mai, Nhat Chi, 2020. "Unpacking the process of overseas knowledge recontextualisation in returnee entrepreneurship - a learning perspective : a study of returnee entrepreneurs in Vietnam," OSF Preprints y5psh, Center for Open Science.
    12. Daniel Z. Levin & Rob Cross, 2004. "The Strength of Weak Ties You Can Trust: The Mediating Role of Trust in Effective Knowledge Transfer," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 50(11), pages 1477-1490, November.
    13. Narda R. Quigley & Paul E. Tesluk & Edwin A. Locke & Kathryn M. Bartol, 2007. "A Multilevel Investigation of the Motivational Mechanisms Underlying Knowledge Sharing and Performance," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 18(1), pages 71-88, February.
    14. Bo Bernhard Nielsen & Sabina Nielsen, 2009. "Learning and Innovation in International Strategic Alliances: An Empirical Test of the Role of Trust and Tacitness," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(6), pages 1031-1056, September.
    15. Hau, Yong Sauk & Kim, Byoungsoo & Lee, Heeseok & Kim, Young-Gul, 2013. "The effects of individual motivations and social capital on employees’ tacit and explicit knowledge sharing intentions," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 356-366.
    16. Jeffrey Cummings, 2003. "Knowledge Sharing : A Review of the Literature," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 19060.
    17. Nicolai J. Foss & Kenneth Husted & Snejina Michailova, 2010. "Governing Knowledge Sharing in Organizations: Levels of Analysis, Governance Mechanisms, and Research Directions," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(3), pages 455-482, May.
    18. Annette L. Ranft & Michael D. Lord, 2002. "Acquiring New Technologies and Capabilities: A Grounded Model of Acquisition Implementation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(4), pages 420-441, August.
    19. Ann Majchrzak & Lynne P. Cooper & Olivia E. Neece, 2004. "Knowledge Reuse for Innovation," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 50(2), pages 174-188, February.
    20. Samina Karim & Aseem Kaul, 2015. "Structural Recombination and Innovation: Unlocking Intraorganizational Knowledge Synergy Through Structural Change," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 26(2), pages 439-455, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bpj:jossai:v:3:y:2015:i:3:p:264-278:n:5. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.degruyter.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.