Knowledge sharing: influences of trust, commitment and cost
Abstract
Purpose
This paper's aim is to examine the influence of perceived cost of sharing knowledge and affective trust in colleagues on the relationship between affective commitment and knowledge sharing.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology used was a survey of 496 employees from 15 organizations across ten industries.
Findings
Affective trust in colleagues moderates the relationship between affective commitment and knowledge sharing and the relationship between cost of knowledge sharing and knowledge sharing.
Research limitations/implications
Future researchers should operationalize the perceived cost of knowledge sharing construct to include other potential group barriers; for instance, politics and organizational barriers, management commitment and lack of trust.
Practical implications
The findings of this study suggest that employees who value social relationships and social resources tend to view knowledge as a collectively owned commodity. As such, their knowledge sharing behavior reflects the model of reciprocal social exchanges.
Social implications
The results of this study indicate that an organizational culture that encourages affect‐based trust between colleagues will facilitate knowledge sharing.
Originality/value
The paper bridges the gap between the literature on knowledge sharing, perceived cost of knowledge sharing, affective organizational commitment and trust in a single model.
Keywords
Citation
Casimir, G., Lee, K. and Loon, M. (2012), "Knowledge sharing: influences of trust, commitment and cost", Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 16 No. 5, pp. 740-753. https://doi.org/10.1108/13673271211262781
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2012, Emerald Group Publishing Limited