Knowledge Exchange as a Motivated Social Process

Abstract

Be it in the case of learning together or cooperating with each other at universities, in schools, at work or during leisure time, individuals usually need to exchange knowledge in order to achieve their goals. Knowledge exchange contributes to joint performance, provided that the knowledge is, indeed, effectively exchanged. Such knowledge exchange often occurs via computer-mediated communication (cmc): e-mails, online chats, blogs, or social networks provide an easy opportunity to exchange information at all times and with a wide range of users. Yet, people do not always exchange knowledge via digital media effectively-although digital media would technically allow them to do so. Why is this the case and how can we foster exchange? This chapter considers knowledge exchange as a socially motivated process. We argue that, at times, people may be motivated to share their information with others, such as when trying to reach a decision together as a group; yet, at other times, people might strategically withhold information from others, such as when trying to keep a personal advantage. This chapter outlines from an experimental, social-psychological approach how specific social constellations between users can elicit such group-or self-serving motives and how these can enhance or hinder knowledge exchange. Finally, we discuss how barriers for knowledge exchange may be overcome in order to facilitate collaboration in cmc (or faceto-face) contexts. Keywords Information sharing • Information exchange • Social processes • MotivationNo matter whether individuals learn together or cooperate at universities, in schools, at work or during leisure time, they usually need to exchange knowledge in order to achieve their goals. For instance, project teams implementing innovations in a company have to share their knowledge to reach an optimal outcome. Students learning together

A Conceptual Framework of Knowledge Exchange

“…This chapter has a distinctly cognitive focus on knowledge-related processes (see the chapter by Scholl et al (2017), for a discussion of motivational processes in knowledge exchange). That being said, this chapter defines knowledge exchange as social interactions (coordination, communication, cooperation, collaboration) among two or more persons which change knowledge "in the heads" of the persons or change knowledge in their environment.…”