Cultural influences on knowledge sharing through online communities of practice

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this study is to explore cultural factors influencing knowledge sharing strategies in virtual communities of practice.Design/methodology/approach -A qualitative research design was employed. Data collection was based on in-depth interviews. The authors assumed that such factors as degree of collectivism, competitiveness, the importance of saving face, in-group orientation, attention paid to power and hierarchy, and culture-specific preferences for communication modes, would explain differences in knowledge seeking and sharing patterns.Findings -The results showed that these factors had different levels of importance among employees in the three participating countries. The issue of saving face was less important than expected in China. Modesty requirements as well as a high degree of competitiveness among employees were found to be serious barriers to information sharing in China, but not in Russia and Brazil. Perceived differences in power and hierarchy seemed to be less critical in all three countries than initially assumed.Research limitations/implications -Since this study was conducted among the online community members of Caterpillar Inc., the results could be affected by factors unique to this specific case. Thus, future research should investigate the influence of other factors such as the organizational culture, or occupational groups on knowledge sharing strategies.Practical implications -Before any introduction of country-specific knowledge sharing systems, a cultural needs assessment should be conducted.Originality/value -The impact of national culture factors on knowledge sharing has been largely neglected in the literature, and the findings will assist knowledge managers charged with the design of flexible knowledge management systems.

Noise or Quality? Cross-Nested Hierarchical Effects of Culture on Online Ratings

“…Previous literature has primarily investigated the concept of power distance in offline environments where there is a face-to-face interaction in order to demonstrate status inequalities and the associated respect (or lack thereof) for authority among the individuals involved in the interaction (Kappos & Rivard, 2008;Leidner & Kayworth, 2006). However, researchers have also demonstrated that the idea of power distance is an important factor (albeit less pronounced) in determining online patterns of social interactions where individuals virtually interact in manners consistent with their power distant cultures (Ardichvili et al, 2006;Jackson & Wang, 2013;Zhang, 2013). For instance, in online learning environments, which are conceptually similar to public electronic knowledge sharing environments, Zhang (2013) qualitatively concluded that power distance had a distinct influence on how individuals interacted with others (peers and instructors) in the online learning setting.…”

“…In the online community literature, prior research has used culture (particularly at the national level) to critically examine and question the universality of individual behaviors by arguing that individuals from different cultures can be expected to exhibit different types of behaviors in electronic social structures (Gallagher & Savage, 2013). For instance, prior online community research has demonstrated significant cross-cultural differences in terms of the types of information that individuals are willing to share (Ardichvili, Maurer, Li, Wentling, & Stuedemann, 2006;Li, 2010;Siau, Erickson, & Nah, 2010), membership motivators (Madupu & Cooley, 2010;Shin, 2010), attitudes towards privacy (Marshall, Cardon, Norris, Goreva, & D'Souza, 2008;Pflug, 2011;Posey, Lowry, Roberts, & Ellis, 2010), and membership continuance behaviors (Chiou & Lee, 2008;Grace-Farfaglia, Dekkers, Sundararajan, Peters, & Park, 2006;Pfeil, Zaphiris, & Ang, 2006).…”

Using micro-blogging to dismantle knowledge hierarchies in product development teams

“…It is recognised [21] that the activities associated to the capture, management and sharing of employee knowledge face numerous barriers typically relating to either social factors or the technology adopted or a combination of both [22]. Disterer [23] and Riege [24] both recognised that organisations themselves can contribute to a failure to collect knowledge, stating that the hierarchical structure of a company may be counter-productive to knowledge capturing initiatives.…”

“…Disterer [23] and Riege [24] both recognised that organisations themselves can contribute to a failure to collect knowledge, stating that the hierarchical structure of a company may be counter-productive to knowledge capturing initiatives. Disterer [23] and Ardichvili [21] added that individuals often perceive knowledge as power that can allow them to advance within an organisation and, therefore, are not prepared to share. Riege [24] further added that individuals often do not have the time to contribute knowledge to others, if they are working, for example, on busy production or assembly lines.…”

Knowledge Sharing in Virtual Distributed Environments: Main Motivators, Discrepancies of Findings and Suggestions for Future Research

“…Because knowledge is seen as a critical resource, many organizations have invested money and effort in knowledge management initiatives. Knowledge management may be defined as a complex socio-technical system that encompasses various forms of knowledge generation, storage, representation, and sharing [5]. During the last decade, the notion of knowledge management (KM) has increasingly been adopted by many organizations and institutes of higher learning.…”