An exploratory study of the impact of organizational factors on employee knowledge sharing

Knowledge sharing at work has received increased researcher and practitioner attention in the last decade. However, in the past much of the focus has been on individual and motivational antecedents to knowledge sharing. This study contributes to the existing body of work by examining organizational factors-organizational rewards, organizational mechanisms, and interpersonal support-and their relationship with three measures of knowledge sharing including knowledge sharing attitudes, intentions, and behavior. Data were collected from a sample of 237 salaried employees of a large, Midwest-based manufacturing company. The results indicate knowledge sharing tools had a strong positive relationship with knowledge sharing, while time and effort required had an expected strong negative relationship with knowledge sharing. Analysis also reveals partial support for a positive relationship between intrinsic rewards and knowledge sharing, co-worker support and knowledge sharing, and knowledge sharing training and knowledge sharing. Despite positive correlations, the regression analysis showed no support for extrinsic rewards, supervisor support for knowledge sharing, or pro-sharing organizational norms having a relationship with knowledge sharing. Implications for managers and directions for future research on knowledge sharing are discussed.