Motivation, Knowledge Transfer, and Organizational Forms

Abstract

Employees are motivated intrinsically as well as extrinsically. Intrinsic motivation is crucial when tacit knowledge in and between teams must be transferred. Organizational forms enable different kinds of motivation and have different capacities to generate and transfer tacit knowledge. Since knowledge generation and transfer are essential for a firm's sustainable competitive advantage, we ask specifically what kinds of motivation are needed to generate and transfer tacit knowledge, as opposed to explicit knowledge.

Toward a More Humanistic Governance Model: Network Governance Structures

“…Obviously that process is not an accurate description of reality as shareholders and stakeholders had to painfully experience during this financial crisis and various other crises before. A large body of research has previously debunked such a model as flawed (Frey, 2007;Kahneman et al, 1982Kahneman et al, , 1986Osterloh and Frey, 2000). In addition, the assumptions of economics regarding human behavior have long been proven incomplete or wrong.…”

The Property Rights Approach to Nonprofit Organization: The Role of Intrinsic Motivation

“…Whereas their systematic theoretical treatment remains to be a task of the future, important steps toward this goal are already being made. Particularly noteworthy in this connection is the increasing recognition of the importance of intrinsic motivation as a factor of economic organization of for-profit firms (see e.g., Kreps, 1997;Osterloh & Frey, 2000). Indeed, the neglect of intrinsic motivation has become one of the major reasons for criticizing the Williamson's version of the transaction cost theory which does not pay enough attention to the tendency of hierarchical control to crowd out intrinsic motivation of employees.…”

Women and Globalization: Ethical Dimensions of Knowledge Transfer in Global Organizations

“…Motivational factors might include, for example, the lack of motivation to give and receive knowledge (Szulanski, 1996;Carter, et al, 2004;Gupta and Govindarajan, 2000). Osterloh and Frey (2000) emphasise that a distinction needs to be made between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Motivation is extrinsic if employees are able to satisfy their needs indirectly, especially through monetary compensation.…”

“…Extensive research has shown that intrinsically motivated and extrinsically motivated employees behave differently with respect to pressure and rewards. In particular, Osterloh and Frey (2000) suggest that transfer of tacit knowledge is strongly related to intrinsic motivation. Whereas explicit knowledge is relatively easy to value and monitor, the same is not the case with tacit knowledge.…”

“…Part of the knowledge development process in firms is to convert tacit knowledge held by employees into explicit knowledge that can be used by the organization (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995). However, Osterloh and Frey (2000) argue that the conversion process still requires intrinsically motivated group members to commit to the process.…”