A Study on Knowledge Sharing Behavior among IT Engineers: An Extended Theory of Planned Behavior

Abstract

With the rapid development of information technology (IT) and the advent of globalization, enterprises have entered the knowledge economy era. Thus, knowledge has become a power for future enterprises to win. In practice, the more actively the employees in the organization share knowledge, the more they can exert the value of knowledge. This study adopted the theory of planned behavior (TPB) as the basic theory in the research model. Besides, by reviewing previous studies on knowledge management and knowledge sharing (KS), we found nine exogenous variables and examined their relationships with KS attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavior control. With a sample of 325 IT engineers in Vietnam, the study used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to test the hypotheses. The findings showed that the exogenous variables affecting KS attitude are expected relationship, expected loss, altruism, and task interdependence. The exogenous variables affecting the subjective norm are affect-based trust and task interdependence. An exogenous variable affecting perceived behavioral control is the adequacy of personal resources. In the relationships among endogenous variables in the TPB model, only the causal relationship of subjective norm influencing intention is not supported, and the rest of the causal relationships are supported. In the influence relationship between endogenous variables in the theoretical model of planned behavior, only the causal relationship of subjective norm influencing intention does not exist, and the rest of the causal relationships are established. Finally, findings can serve as references and suggestions for subsequent KS research in academic and practical aspects.