Despite heavy investments in knowledge management systems, people are often reluctant to share their knowledge, with knowledge hoarding being one of the largest obstacles to effective knowledge management in organizations. This paper proposes a model that examines the role of intrinsic motivation in knowledge sharing. Bringing together insights from motivational research, Self-Determination Theory and the Theory of Reasoned Action, the study investigates the links between intrinsic motivators and knowledge sharing. Survey data collected from knowledge workers are analyzed using partial least squares. The results show self-efficacy, meaningfulness and impact are important motivators of attitude towards knowledge sharing, which in turn impacts intention to share knowledge. The findings provide insights into employee motivations to share knowledge, and strategies for enhancing knowledge sharing in organizations.
The concept of “alignment” or “fit” expresses an idea that the object of design—for example, an organization’s structure or its information systems (IS)—must match its context to be effective (Iivari, 1992). More recently, Luftman (2004) has taken this argument one step further and argued that a lack of alignment within an organization will limit the effectiveness of the organization’s business strategies.
Organisations invest heavily in knowledge management technologies and initiatives which are entirely dependent on the willingness of employees to share their knowledge. Educational and reward programs need to be informed by an understanding of what motivates people to share their knowledge at work. Prior research based on motivational theories suggests the importance of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators to encourage voluntary pro-social behaviours such as knowledge sharing. However, the literature on motivation in the context of knowledge sharing is still emerging and fragmented. This article therefore proposes an integrated model that brings together theoretical insights from motivational research to explain the influence of key intrinsic and extrinsic motivators on knowledge sharing. The article reports the results of the assessment of the model based on data collected across 10 organisations. The discussion of results contributes to the understanding of motivational factors influencing attitude and intention to share knowledge and their relative importance.
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