Knowledge-sharing and collaborative behaviour: An empirical study on a Portuguese higher education institution

Abstract

Collaboration has been considered a way to address the challenges of the 21st century, fostering the necessary innovation, growth and productivity for all parties involved. Several studies reveal that collaboration can be strongly influenced by knowledge sharing. The literature suggests that this topic is quite relevant and that there is an evident lack of empirical studies that properly investigate the relationship between knowledge-sharing and collaborative behaviour in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). In this context, the purpose of this work is to examine whether knowledge-sharing intention has a positive relationship with collaborative behaviour among professors and researchers in a public Portuguese HEI, taking into account other constructs that can have effect on the knowledge-sharing intention. In order to reach this objective, a conceptual research model was developed based on the theory of reasoned action. The empirical study was conducted based on a questionnaire, and the data analysis was performed using partial least squares. The results indicate that intrinsic motivation and networking are the factors that positively affect the attitude towards knowledge sharing. Nevertheless, it is concluded that trust is the variable that more strongly affects the knowledge-sharing intention. Finally, the study identified that knowledge-sharing intention has a positive influence in collaborative behaviour. It is considered that this study can contribute to support institutions’ management in defining strategies and developing actions in order to promote an organisational culture based on knowledge management that significantly leads to knowledge-sharing and collaboration relationships.

Knowledge sharing in the construction supply chain: collaborative innovation activities and BIM application on innovation performance

“…The results of this study show that tacit knowledge sharing has a positive impact on innovation performance in the construction supply chain, and the view is supported by many previous literatures (Chedid et al , 2020; Choi et al , 2019). However, it is also found that explicit knowledge sharing has no significant correlation with innovation performance.…”

Context and content of teaching conversations: exploring how to promote sharing of innovative teaching knowledge between science faculty

“…Their results showed that faculty members' perceptions of the importance of sharing teaching and research materials was the most influential factor for knowledge sharing among faculty, but trust was not a statistically significant factor. Another study at a Portuguese university found trust to strongly influence faculty members' intention to share knowledge (Chedid et al, 2020). Yet another study applied game theory to examine knowledge sharing between faculty in Iran (Tabatabaei et al, 2019).…”

The Role of Performance-based Rewards and Developmental Performance Appraisal in Promoting Innovative Work Behaviour: The Mediating Roles of Affective Commitment and Knowledge Sharing

“…First, scholars have identified that knowledge sharing is significant in promoting IWB (Andreeva et al, 2017). The related argument is that for employees to be able to engage in innovative behaviours, they require continuous forms of diversified knowledge to facilitate task performance and increase their confidence level (Chedid et al, 2019;Radaelli et al, 2014). Second, employees' levels of commitment at work are correlated with their performance and willingness to engage in positive behaviours.…”