This paper aims to discuss the motivational factors affecting the knowledge sharing through an intra‐organizational social media platform and to answer the following research…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to discuss the motivational factors affecting the knowledge sharing through an intra‐organizational social media platform and to answer the following research questions: “What motivates employees to share their knowledge through an intra‐organizational social media platform?”; “What impedes them sharing knowledge this way?”; and “Do these factors differ from those motivational factors regarding knowledge sharing in general?”.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper approaches the issue from both theoretical and empirical viewpoints. The motivational factors regarding knowledge sharing in general are summed up from literature. The social media platform perspective to the issue is studied by conducting a survey in two companies.
Findings
The results reveal that the motivation to share knowledge through an intra‐organizational social media platform is the desire to help the organization reach its goals and helping colleagues, while financial rewards and advancing one's career were seen as least motivating. The key issues enabling the success of using a collaborative intra‐organizational social media platform in knowledge sharing are in line with the general knowledge sharing motivational factors, although supplemented with some additional features: reciprocity in knowledge sharing, making every‐day work easier and faster and ease of use are the key factors that make or break the success.
Originality/value
The empirical study reveals what motivates and impedes the employees of the companies to share knowledge via an intra‐organizational social media platform. The results are discussed in the light of those from earlier research about general knowledge sharing motivational factors.
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The paper seeks to discuss how traditional knowledge refining processes differ from those enabled by using social media applications. By addressing the topic with practical…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper seeks to discuss how traditional knowledge refining processes differ from those enabled by using social media applications. By addressing the topic with practical examples the paper aims to outline how collaborative work setting and social media tools are used in refining unstructured and unmanaged knowledge for value adding purposes.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is a conceptual analysis with reflections on current practices.
Findings
The paper proposes that the collaborative setting provided by social media applications enables sharing of different insights: combining mutual insights as well as discussing conflicting insights helps to form a more multifaceted and truthful understanding on issues. Utilizing social media applications as collaborative tools also enriches information as it can also contain elements that are not predestined as in common business information systems. Social media applications empower employees to collaborate and contribute to intra‐organizational information flows in a more informal manner. In addition to factual information insights to it can be shared and discussed.
Originality/value
The paper studies the idea of social media, as well as social media tools, from different perspectives, such as leisure or user perspectives or context. However, interest has increased toward usability of such tools also in working or business contexts. The paper points out that social media applications can aid collaboration and informal participation and thus leverage refining of information and knowledge.
Details
Keywords
Giovanni Schiuma, Daniela Carlucci and Antonio Lerro
Nowadays organizations have realized that knowledge, its effective use and the fast acquisition and utilization of new knowledge represent the only source of sustainable…
Abstract
Purpose
Nowadays organizations have realized that knowledge, its effective use and the fast acquisition and utilization of new knowledge represent the only source of sustainable competitive advantage. In fact, an effective exploitation and management of knowledge resources are the basis of the development of those capabilities that ground the organization's capacity to deliver successfully targeted value propositions. During recent decades, there has been a growing interest in the processes of management of knowledge resources. Currently the debate on knowledge management processes is still lively. The dynamics which link knowledge processes to value creation, the valuation of their impact on organizational performance and the role of some organizational and technological resources as enablers or restraints of successful knowledge management emerge as relevant topics to be investigated. This introduction to the special issue aims to develop some theoretical and managerial reasons explaining the importance of an effective management of knowledge processes to deal with the uncertainty, change, and turbulence of the current socio‐economic scenario.
Design/methodology/approach
The approaches, evidences and insights discussed in this introduction are largely based on the discussion of the topics of the conference “International forum on knowledge assets dynamics” organized in June 2010 in Matera, Italy. At this conference, leading experts discussed the challenges and practices of measuring and managing knowledge resources to support value creation and business performance improvement of organisational systems.
Findings
The outcomes of this introduction and of all the contributions to the special issue reflect the emerging discussion about the role of knowledge processes and, more generally, of the management of knowledge resources, in value creation. This discussion is largely focused on the dynamics at the base of the translation of knowledge processes and resources into value, highlighting properly approaches and tools or application in different contexts of analysis.
Originality/value
This introduction, as well as all the contributions to the special issue, deal with different aspects which are important in the discussion both of the role played by knowledge processes in achieving outstanding organisational performance and the approaches, tools, methods and techniques to structure, organize knowledge resources and optimize their use in order to support effective organizational processes execution and value creation.