Social capital, behavioural control, and tacit knowledge sharing-A multi-informant design

  • Authors:

  • Shu-Chen Yang;Cheng-Kiang Farn

  • Affiliations:

  • Department of Information Management, National University of Kaohsiung, No. 700 Kaohsiung University Road, Nan Tzu District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan;Department of Information Management, National Central University, Taiwan

  • Venue:
  • International Journal of Information Management: The Journal for Information Professionals
  • Year:
  • 2009

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Abstract

As suggested by prior studies, tacit knowledge sharing is a natural process of social interaction. The perspectives of social capital and behavioural control are thus employed in this study to investigate an employee's tacit knowledge sharing and behaviour within a workgroup. This study collects data through a multi-informant questionnaire design. Three interesting results were obtained in this study. First, results show that tacit knowledge sharing intention can be induced by affect-based trust. However, shared value is negatively related to tacit knowledge sharing intention. Second, internal control has a positive effect on tacit knowledge sharing intention, but the relationship between internal control and tacit knowledge sharing behaviour could not be confirmed. Third, external control positively moderates the relationship between tacit knowledge sharing intention and behaviour. It is interesting to note that tacit knowledge sharing intention does not necessarily lead to tacit knowledge sharing behaviour unless the moderating effect of external control is taken into account. These findings and their implications are also addressed.