Why do people seek knowledge? Tracing factors that affect knowledge seeking intention

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand factors that motivate an individual to seek knowledge on knowledge management systems. Specifically, the work seeks to clarify the impact of organizational practices on an individual’s intention to seek knowledge. The overarching theme is to broaden the current understanding of factors that impact individual knowledge seeking behavior and narrow down factors for which interventions can be developed. Design/methodology/approach In-depth interviews were conducted with the members of knowledge management (KM), human resources (HR) and learning and development teams of Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions Private Limited (RBEI) to understand knowledge behaviors of employees. Subsequent to an exploratory analysis, the survey methodology was used to collect data from members of RBEI. A proposed theoretical model was then validated using partial least squares. Findings Empirical findings suggest that to motivate participation, organizational KM practices need to be geared towards promoting curiosity and engaging learners. Results indicate that overt recognition of knowledge seeking behaviors by HR could be counterproductive. Research limitations/implications This study was limited to an MNC engineering organization in one geographic location; one must be cautious when generalizing these results. Replicating this study in multiple organizations will help mitigate this limitation. Originality/value Little is known on the effect of KM and HR practices on knowledge seeking behaviors. This work addresses this gap and presents a comprehensive model.

Can knowledge hiding promote creativity among IT professionals

“…This enhances their creativity. This finding is consistent with the ideas proposed by past studies which explain that when an information gap is created, and it urges the individuals to strive harder to attain that knowledge (Golman and Loewenstein, 2015;Shani and Zeelenberg, 2007;Veeravalli et al, 2019). However, this finding is contradictory to previous studies on knowledge hiding.…”

“…This knowledge gap makes them feel deprived of knowledge and makes them feel dissatisfied (Loewenstein, 1994;Shani and Zeelenberg, 2007;Wilson and Gilbert, 2005). Hence, because of curiosity, they strive harder to acquire more information (Loewenstein, 1994;Veeravalli et al, 2019). Acquiring new information from other sources will help them in generating new ideas, and hence, this will improve their creative performance.…”

How does leader's knowledge hiding kill innovative work behavior

“…Thus, curious individuals will try hard to attain the required knowledge (Veeravalli et al, 2019). Acquisition of new knowledge due to curiosity works positively towards the generation and creation of ideas (Zakariya and Bashir, 2020), thus resulting in improved IWB among individuals.…”

Moderating Impact of Supervisor Support on Knowledge Seeking Intention of International Students: A Conceptual Framework

“…More specifically, an individual's attitude toward education reflects his or her attitude toward acquiring skills and knowledge through a formal educational process. The favorable (positive) academic attitude of an individual has always been linked with high motivation to attend learning sessions and motivation to learn (Steele-Johnson et al, 2013;Veeravalli et al, 2019).…”

“…influence the actual seeking intention (Veeravalli et al, 2019). These behavioral beliefs are major cognitive determinants of students' behavioral intentions and their actual behavior.…”