Motivated to Share? Development and Validation of a Domain-Specific Scale to Measure Knowledge-Sharing Motives

Abstract

This paper examines the construct of knowledge sharing motivation (KSM) and develops a scale to measure knowledge sharing motives. Following the Rubicon model (Heckhausen 1989) the author suggests that KSM and knowledge sharing behaviour (KSB) are different stages in the process of human behavior which alternate and affect each other but are by no means identical. Hence, knowledge sharing motivation cannot be measured by knowledge sharing behavior, which is done in the literature up to now. According to theories of human needs and motives, several dimensions of knowledge sharing motivation are suggested. Furthermore, qualitative data and peer review were used to generate items. The constructed scale of KSM is tested with survey data of 355 German public employees from 2017. An exploratory factor analysis indicates a clear separation of knowledge sharing motivation and behavior. The analysis indicates three dimensions of KSM, namely appreciation, growth and altruism, and extrinsic rewards. A confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modeling confirms the results. The developed construct of KSM shows an acceptable model fit. Hence, the scale can be used as a basis for further research on knowledge sharing. Practitioners might use the developed scale to assess knowledge sharing motivation of employees in their organization as a basis for the design of management practices that foster knowledge sharing.

Incentives Can’t Buy Me Knowledge: The Missing Effects of Appreciation and Aligned Performance Appraisals on Knowledge Sharing of Public Employees

“…Hansen, 1999, p. 109). Different motives have been identified for shaping the knowledge-sharing motivation of public employees, namely altruism and growth, appreciation, and tangible rewards (Fischer, 2018b). These motives are used as a basis for creating interventions to foster knowledge-sharing behavior in this study.…”