IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/sagope/v12y2022i1p21582440221079924.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

What Drives Working Habits for Sharing Knowledge in Virtual Teams? An Organizational Embeddedness Perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Hao-Fan Chumg
  • Jia-Wen Shin
  • Hsiu-Yen Chiang
  • Man-ting Ho

Abstract

This study explores employees’ working habits regarding knowledge sharing using new malleable technologies within virtual teams in a Taiwanese society. The exploratory, qualitative data, gained from observations and extracted from 26 interviews, were analyzed using thematic analysis. It was found that employees used internal IS less but made more use of external IT in their everyday activities. It was also found that the structuration of internal IS inhibited their habits and IT practices on account of the problem of “over-embeddedness.†Group members, by contrast, more habitually used external IT to share information and experiences with others because of their strong relational and structural embeddedness in the external IT. In the structuration of knowledge-sharing practices, the appropriation of external IT may explain why users are engaged in such habitual behavior. To foster employees’ working behavioral habits regarding knowledge sharing in virtual teams, an institution can introduce job stability and organizational norms to reinforce structural embeddedness, while integrity-based trust and affective commitment, which underlie cultural homophily, are encouraged in group relationships to reinforce relational embeddedness (relative to Guanxi ). This paper thus provides new pathways for group members to develop and sustain their habits in the use of external IT rather than internal IS.

Suggested Citation

  • Hao-Fan Chumg & Jia-Wen Shin & Hsiu-Yen Chiang & Man-ting Ho, 2022. "What Drives Working Habits for Sharing Knowledge in Virtual Teams? An Organizational Embeddedness Perspective," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(1), pages 21582440221, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:sagope:v:12:y:2022:i:1:p:21582440221079924
    DOI: 10.1177/21582440221079924
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/21582440221079924
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/21582440221079924?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. Williamson, Oliver E, 1979. "Transaction-Cost Economics: The Governance of Contractural Relations," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 22(2), pages 233-261, October.
    2. Sirkka L. Jarvenpaa & Dorothy E. Leidner, 1999. "Communication and Trust in Global Virtual Teams," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 10(6), pages 791-815, December.
    3. Martha S. Feldman & Wanda J. Orlikowski, 2011. "Theorizing Practice and Practicing Theory," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(5), pages 1240-1253, October.
    4. Than Thanh Son & Le Ba Phong & Bùi Thị Thu Loan, 2020. "Transformational Leadership and Knowledge Sharing: Determinants of Firm’s Operational and Financial Performance," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(2), pages 21582440209, May.
    5. Gordon Walker & Bruce Kogut & Weijian Shan, 1997. "Social Capital, Structural Holes and the Formation of an Industry Network," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 8(2), pages 109-125, April.
    6. Anjum Razzaque, 2020. "M-Learning Improves Knowledge Sharing Over e-Learning Platforms to Build Higher Education Students’ Social Capital," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(2), pages 21582440209, May.
    7. M. Lynne Markus & Daniel Robey, 1988. "Information Technology and Organizational Change: Causal Structure in Theory and Research," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 34(5), pages 583-598, May.
    8. Paul S. Adler, 2001. "Market, Hierarchy, and Trust: The Knowledge Economy and the Future of Capitalism," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 12(2), pages 215-234, April.
    9. Bruce Kogut & Udo Zander, 1996. "What Firms Do? Coordination, Identity, and Learning," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 7(5), pages 502-518, October.
    10. Sergio G. Lazzarini & Gary J. Miller & Todd R. Zenger, 2008. "Dealing with the Paradox of Embeddedness: The Role of Contracts and Trust in Facilitating Movement Out of Committed Relationships," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 19(5), pages 709-728, October.
    11. Pereira, Vijay & Mohiya, Mohamed, 2021. "Share or hide? Investigating positive and negative employee intentions and organizational support in the context of knowledge sharing and hiding," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 368-381.
    12. Vida Davidavičienė & Khaled Al Majzoub & Ieva Meidute-Kavaliauskiene, 2020. "Factors Affecting Knowledge Sharing in Virtual Teams," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-16, August.
    13. Ulrike Schultze & Wanda J. Orlikowski, 2004. "A Practice Perspective on Technology-Mediated Network Relations: The Use of Internet-Based Self-Serve Technologies," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 15(1), pages 87-106, March.
    14. Tim Rowley & Dean Behrens & David Krackhardt, 2000. "Redundant governance structures: an analysis of structural and relational embeddedness in the steel and semiconductor industries," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(3), pages 369-386, March.
    15. Singh, Sanjay Kumar & Gupta, Shivam & Busso, Donatella & Kamboj, Shampy, 2021. "Top management knowledge value, knowledge sharing practices, open innovation and organizational performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 788-798.
    16. Wanda J. Orlikowski, 2000. "Using Technology and Constituting Structures: A Practice Lens for Studying Technology in Organizations," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 11(4), pages 404-428, August.
    17. Xiaofeng Su & Wenhe Lin & Jingjing Wu & Qiuqin Zheng & Xiaoxia Chen & Xiaoli Jiang, 2021. "Ethical Leadership and Knowledge Sharing: The Effects of Positive Reciprocity and Moral Efficacy," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(2), pages 21582440211, June.
    18. Jeffrey H. Dyer & Kentaro Nobeoka, 2000. "Creating and managing a high‐performance knowledge‐sharing network: the Toyota case," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(3), pages 345-367, March.
    19. Wanda J. Orlikowski & Daniel Robey, 1991. "Information Technology and the Structuring of Organizations," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 2(2), pages 143-169, June.
    20. Fatma Sonmez Cakir & Zafer Adiguzel, 2020. "Analysis of Leader Effectiveness in Organization and Knowledge Sharing Behavior on Employees and Organization," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(1), pages 21582440209, March.
    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. Khuong, Le-Nguyen & Harindranath, G. & Dyerson, Romano, 2014. "Understanding knowledge management software-organisation misalignments from an institutional perspective: A case study of a global IT-management consultancy firm," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 226-247.
    2. Marie-Claude Boudreau & Daniel Robey, 2005. "Enacting Integrated Information Technology: A Human Agency Perspective," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 16(1), pages 3-18, February.
    3. Pamela J. Hinds & Diane E. Bailey, 2003. "Out of Sight, Out of Sync: Understanding Conflict in Distributed Teams," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 14(6), pages 615-632, December.
    4. Haider, Sajjad & Mariotti, Francesca, 2016. "The orchestration of alliance portfolios: The role of alliance portfolio capability," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 127-141.
    5. Walter, Jorge & Lechner, Christoph & Kellermanns, Franz W., 2007. "Knowledge transfer between and within alliance partners: Private versus collective benefits of social capital," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 60(7), pages 698-710, July.
    6. Lee, Cheng-Yu & Wang, Ming-Chao & Huang, Yen-Chih, 2015. "The double-edged sword of technological diversity in R&D alliances: Network position and learning speed as moderators," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 450-461.
    7. Katsuki Aoki & Miriam Wilhelm, 2017. "The Role of Ambidexterity in Managing Buyer–Supplier Relationships: The Toyota Case," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 28(6), pages 1080-1097, December.
    8. de Vaujany, François-Xavier & Fomin, Wlad, 2006. "Design in practice: bridging the gap between design and use dichotomies in practice-based studies," MPRA Paper 1313, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Malik, Tariq, 2012. "Disparate association between alliance social capital and the global pharmaceutical firm's performance," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(6), pages 1017-1028.
    10. François-Xavier de Vaujany & Vladislav V. Fomin & Stefan Haefliger & Kalle Lyytinen, 2018. "Rules, Practices, and Information Technology: A Trifecta of Organizational Regulation," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 29(3), pages 755-773, September.
    11. Su, Hung-Chung & Kao, Ta-Wei (Daniel) & Linderman, Kevin, 2020. "Where in the supply chain network does ISO 9001 improve firm productivity?," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 283(2), pages 530-540.
    12. Sheng, Margaret L. & Hartmann, Nathaniel N., 2019. "Impact of subsidiaries' cross-border knowledge tacitness shared and social capital on MNCs' explorative and exploitative innovation capability," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 25(4).
    13. Kim, Dennie & Funk, Russell & Zaheer, Aks, 2020. "Structure in Context: A Morphological View of Whole Network Performance," SocArXiv x6q7g, Center for Open Science.
    14. Karim Messeghem & Françoise Pierson, 2005. "Intranet RH:outil de contrôle des pratiques de gestion des ressources humaines de l’encadrement intermédiaire?," Revue Finance Contrôle Stratégie, revues.org, vol. 8(2), pages 237-261, June.
    15. Asimakopoulos, Stavros & Dix, Alan, 2013. "Forecasting support systems technologies-in-practice: A model of adoption and use for product forecasting," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 322-336.
    16. Nina Hampl, 2020. "Drivers of and barriers to partner switch in interfirm alliances: a conceptual model," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 90(4), pages 563-589, May.
    17. Jianghua Zhou & Rui Wu & Jizhen Li, 2019. "More ties the merrier? Different social ties and firm innovation performance," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 36(2), pages 445-471, June.
    18. Sulin Ba & Jan Stallaert & Andrew B. Whinston, 2001. "Research Commentary: Introducing a Third Dimension in Information Systems Design—The Case for Incentive Alignment," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 12(3), pages 225-239, September.
    19. Natalya Yu. VLASOVA & Elena L. MOLOKOVA, 2019. "Mechanisms for coordinating stakeholders of the higher education market: Theoretical approaches to identification," Upravlenets, Ural State University of Economics, vol. 10(2), pages 21-30, May.
    20. Zhang-Zhang, YingYing & Rohlfer, Sylvia & Varma, Arup, 2022. "Strategic people management in contemporary highly dynamic VUCA contexts: A knowledge worker perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 587-598.

    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:sae:sagope:v:12:y:2022:i:1:p:21582440221079924. 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: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    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.