Knowledge-sharing determinants, behaviors, and innovative work behaviors

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of socio-psychological factors from different theoretical perspectives, as well as the roles of technological and cultural facilitators on knowledge sharing (KS) behaviors and whether it leads to superior employees’ innovative work behaviors. Design/methodology/approach – Partial least squares analysis was used to investigate the research model based on a survey of 257 employees from 22 high-tech companies (including companies in pharmaceutical, nano technological, biotechnological, aviation, and aerospace industries) in Iran. Findings – The results supported the effects of three motivational factors, i.e. perceived loss of knowledge power, perceived reputation enhancement, and perceived enjoyment in helping others, and two social capital factors, i.e. social interaction ties and trust, on employees’ attitude toward KS. Findings also indicated that employees’ KS behaviors enhance their innovative work behaviors. Research limitations/implications – Since the survey used cross-sectional data and samples here were limited to some Iranian companies, the results of this study may prove not to be generalizable and should be confirmed using larger samples and/or longitudinal studies. Practical implications – The findings provide useful insights into how managers should encourage employees’ KS attitudes, intentions, and behaviors to foster innovative work behaviors of employees. Originality/value – This study is one of the first attempts to fill the void in integrative research for examining relationships among KS determinants, behaviors, and outcomes.