Cultural and social issues for knowledge sharing

Abstract

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The purpose of this paper is to show that knowledge sharing is primarily based on a trading process -the business transaction process. Motivators as well as morale hazards for knowledge sharing based on existence needs, biosocial needs and cognitive needs are described.Design/methodology/approach -An industry survey followed by interviews discovers arguments supporting the business transaction theory. Results of the interviews are clustered and categorized according to Alderfer's pyramid. Morale hazards hampering knowledge sharing are derived thereof.Findings -The comprehensive online survey, combined with personal interviews, supports the business transaction theory. According to this theory, knowledge sharing is based on a trading process. During this process, which can be regarded as information exchange process, people evaluate information on individual basis in an asymmetric way. Modern portfolio theory can help to understand the motivation behind this process. Motivators as well as morale hazards for knowledge sharing were detected.Research limitations/implications -The business transaction theory is valid independent from cultures. However, the findings about morale hazards are cultural dependent. These findings represent hopes and fears of the Central European society. It would be interesting to perform the study in other regions and to compare the results.Practical implications -The results are valuable for companies which plan to improve their rewarding and incentive systems.Originality/value -Until recently researchers regarded trust, attitude and group support as the main drivers of successful knowledge-sharing cultures. This paper shows that the underlying mechanism for knowledge sharing is rather based on a trading process.

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