Knowledge‐Sharing Networks: Language Diversity, Its Causes, and Consequences

Abstract

Although it is recognized that diversity influences knowledge sharing between employees, there is very little empirical research on the relationship between language diversity and knowledge sharing in the organizations. In this context, this study adopts network perspective and explores linguistic composition of personal knowledge‐sharing networks, its causes and consequences. A survey was conducted involving 403 participants in different subsidiaries of a multinational organization. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the effect of language diversity in department, language attitude, and linguistic association on language diversity in personal knowledge‐sharing networks. Moreover, analysis of variance was performed to analyze whether employees with multilingual knowledge‐sharing networks differ from employees with monolingual knowledge‐sharing networks in terms of their knowledge sharing behavior and performance. Regression analysis showed that language diversity in the immediate department and employees' linguistic association in the organization significantly affects the language diversity in employees' personal knowledge‐sharing networks. However, against expectations, language attitude did not have any effect. Moreover, analysis of variance results show that there is no difference in knowledge‐sharing behavior of employees who have multilingual or monolingual knowledge‐sharing networks. However, the employees with multilingual knowledge‐sharing networks perform better than those with monolingual knowledge‐sharing networks in the organization. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Managing operational risks through knowledge sharing infoodsupply chains

“…Knowledge sharing is the process of knowledge creation, dissemination and inflow in an organization as well as in a network of organizations (Ahmad, 2017; Haas & Hansen, 2007). Inter‐organizational knowledge sharing is the dissemination and inflow of knowledge beyond the organizational boundaries through networking of different organizations (Gulati, Nohria, & Zaheer, 2000; Wang, Sharma, & Cao, 2016).…”

Exploring “culturalization” in rural entrepreneurial context through content analysis

“…The data gathered during the interviews were subjected to qualitative content analysis, due to the linkage between knowledge and language (Ahmad, ; Kohlbacher, ; Krone et al, ). This research method represents a data reduction technique, characterized by “a systematic and replicable method for compressing many words of text into fewer content categories based on explicit rules of coding” (Stemler, ).…”

“…In detail, this study attempts to understand if it is possible to identify the antecedents of interorganizational knowledge creation within a network‐based strategic project, and how this may be achieved. The relation between knowledge and language, highlighted by the deutero learning processes framework, leads to the adoption of qualitative content analysis as research methodology (Ahmad, ; Krone, Syväjärvi, & Stenvall, ). The latter has been applied to the case study in analysing, elaborating, and interpreting the data gathered by means of direct interviews with farmers involved in the project.…”

“…The relation between knowledge and language, highlighted by the deutero learning processes framework, leads to the adoption of qualitative content analysis as research methodology (Ahmad, 2017;Krone, Syväjärvi, & Stenvall, 2009). The latter has been applied to the case study in analysing, elaborating, and interpreting the data gathered by means of direct interviews with farmers involved in the project.…”

Organizational changes, trust and information sharing: an empirical study

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