Motivating knowledge sharing through a knowledge management system

Citation

Marks, P.V. (2008), "Motivating knowledge sharing through a knowledge management system", Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol. 16 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/hrmid.2008.04416cad.005

Motivating knowledge sharing through a knowledge management system

Article Type: Abstracts From: Human Resource Management International Digest, Volume 16, Issue 3.

King W.R. Marks P.V. Omega February 2008, Vol. 36 No. 1, Start page: 131, No. of pages: 16

Purpose to investigate, and compare, the effects of supervisory control and organizational support on employees’ efforts in, and frequency of, contributing to a corporate knowledge management system (KMS). Design/methodology/approach discusses use of KMS and factors motivating employees to share knowledge, defines supervisory control as management action to increase the likelihood of desired employee behaviour, and cites social exchange theory in positing that perceived organizational support will foster reciprocal employee support. Presents hypotheses suggesting discrete and joint relationships between supervisory control and organizational support, and knowledge-sharing frequency and effort, tests the hypotheses by questionnaire survey of 169 employees of a US federal agency, questions respondents on their supervisor’s involvement in system use, organizational help to improve performance, and system ease-of-use, appends the questionnaire, and records that 84 percent of respondents held a bachelors degree and that over 50 percent had worked at the agency for more than five years. Findings reports that, after controlling for system usefulness and ease-of-use, supervisory control had a significant, positive influence on the frequency of contributions, that organizational support had a similar effect on effort, but finds that system usefulness and ease-of-use had greater impacts on contribution frequency and effort than organizational support. Practical implications warns organizations not to neglect supervisory control and ensure their KMS are easy to use. Originality/value reinforces earlier findings regarding the benefits of organizational control and support behaviours.ISSN: 0305-0483Reference: 36BA481

Keywords: Control, Information exchange, Information systems, Knowledge management, Management science, Motivation (psychology)