Using social power and influence to mobilise the supply chain into knowledge sharing: A case in insurance

The paper explores the antecedent effects of social influences arising from buyer power and supplier competition on knowledge sharing behaviours within a horizontal supply chain. A 2-year long empirical study examining web posts from a dedicated social supplier platform (SSN), together with interview and ‘conversational’ data over a similar time period was conducted within insurance claims. The findings show social power and influence play a powerful role in supporting knowledge sharing even in typically competitive supply chains where information and knowledge exchange is usually guarded.     

Managing knowledge sharing: Emergent and engineering approaches

We wished to determine how the process of knowledge sharing could be managed, seeing that it is a knowledge management dilemma. If knowledge sharing is crucial to an organization’s interests, but is inherently emergent in nature, how can the organization still manage the process? In order to answer this question, a distinction was made between two approaches towards managing knowledge sharing: an emergent approach, focusing on the social dynamics between organizational members and the nature of their daily tasks, and an engineering approach, focusing on management interventions to facilitate knowledge transfer. While the first is central to today’s thinking about knowledge, we used a field study in six organizations to show that both approaches have value in explaining knowledge sharing. Instruments that are part of the engineering approach create conditions for variables in the emergent approach, which in turn also exert a direct influence on knowledge sharing.     

A study of Facebook Groups members’ knowledge sharing

There have been many studies focusing on individuals’ knowledge sharing behavior in the organizational setting. With the rapid prevalence of social networking sites, many people began to express their thoughts or share their knowledge via Facebook website. Facebook is an open environment which does not provide any immediate monetary benefits to its users. Its Groups members’ knowledge sharing behavior could be different from the ones in organizations. We proposed a research model to examine factors which promote the Facebook Groups users’ willingness to share knowledge. The factors in the study include extrinsic motivation, social and psychological forces, and social networking sharing culture. We used PLS to test our proposed hypotheses based on 271 responses collected through an online survey. Our results indicated that reputation would affect knowledge sharing attitude of Groups members and sense of self-worth would directly and indirectly (through subjective norm) affect the attitude. In addition, social networking sharing culture (fairness, identification, and openness) is the most significant factor, not only directly affecting knowledge sharing intention, but also indirectly influencing the sharing intention through subjective norm and knowledge sharing attitude.     

A knowledge grid model and platform for global knowledge sharing

This paper proposes a knowledge grid model for sharing and managing globally distributed knowledge resources. The model organizes knowledge in a three-dimensional knowledge space, and provides a knowledge grid operation language, KGOL. Internet users can use the KGOL to create their knowledge grids, to put knowledge to them, to edit knowledge, to partially or wholly open their grids to all or some particular grids, and to get the required knowledge from the open knowledge of all the knowledge grids. The model enables people to conveniently share knowledge with each other when they work on the Internet. A software platform based on the proposed model has been implemented and used for knowledge sharing in research teams.     

Special knowledge sharing incentive mechanism for two clients with complementary knowledge: A principal-agent perspective

In this paper, we study how the firm share the special knowledge of two knowledge-complementarity clients by implementing a large and complex project which the firm out-sourced. Firstly, incentive mechanism for complementarity special knowledge sharing are designed for clients being risk-neutral and risk-averse respectively under the asymmetric information. Further, knowledge complementary effects and other relevant factors on the optimal incentive coefficient are analyzed. Lastly, the numerical results are reported.     

The dynamic role of social media during Hurricane #Sandy: An introduction of the STREMII model to weather the storm of the crisis lifecycle

Social media has introduced a key ingredient, and a potentially unfamiliar variable, into the practice of crisis communication. In this paper, the authors critically assess the social media milestones related to Hurricane Sandy according to situational crisis communication theory (SCCT) (Coombs, 2007). Further, we discuss the crisis lifecycle of Hurricane Sandy with regard to the potential implementation of the STREMII model of social media crisis management, a proposed model originated through this research application. This original model develops from lessons and best practices discovered in historical and contemporary cases of social media crises and crisis management. The researchers acknowledge potential limitations and describe steps for further development of the model through research, all the while recognizing the powerful and paradoxical role of social media in the crisis management process. In reflection of Hurricane Sandy, further qualitative and quantitative examinations of crisis events are encouraged to evaluate the STREMII model continually in the dynamic social media climate and across the vast facets of crisis communication.     

Reuse of knowledge assets from repositories: A mixed methods study

Reuse of information retrieved from an electronic knowledge repository and how this complements person-to-person interactions are poorly understood. I developed a research model that examined factors influencing how individuals benefit from reuse of knowledge assets. Using a mixed method approach, two empirical studies were conducted to test the model. The results showed that two key factors helped users to overcome difficulties in reusing knowledge assets: seeking assistance from and sharing a common perspective with the author of the asset. The study explains when and how individuals receive benefits from knowledge reuse. When individuals reuse complex knowledge assets in domains with which they are unfamiliar, they apparently gain more benefit by contacting the author; sharing a common perspective with the author also facilitates asset reuse. Thus both electronic repositories and person-to-person interaction mechanisms complement one another in facilitating knowledge sharing.     

OpenClinical.net: A platform for creating and sharing knowledge and promoting best practice in healthcare

It is well known that medical knowledge is growing so rapidly that it is difficult or impossible for healthcare professionals to keep up. More and more techniques for diagnosing and treating diseases are becoming available, yet new research findings and clinical practices are slow to spread. Information technology and the internet are providing important new ways of disseminating knowledge in healthcare as in many other domains. Knowledge engineering techniques for supporting decision-making and process management are also becoming available, and can be used to support busy clinicians, helping to ensure that their decisions are consistent with current knowledge and clinical procedures are carried out in a timely, efficient and safe way. The OpenClinical.net project is building on these techniques to demonstrate a new paradigm for disseminating knowledge and promoting best practice. The key idea is that much professional expertise can be modelled as computer-interpretable knowledge and used to assist decision-making, workflow management, communication and coordination of care and many other professional tasks. The central goal of OpenClinical.net is to demonstrate how this might be done at scale, through a form of “crowd sourcing”, in order to create and maintain a sharable knowledge base that is available in an open access and open source repository. This paper provides an overview of the project and a summary of progress to date.     

The effects of network sharing on knowledge-sharing activities and job performance in enterprise social media environments

This study examines the influence of the tertius iungens orientation on knowledge-sharing activities and individual job performance within enterprise social media environments. The empirical analysis reveals that knowledge self-efficacy, social interaction ties, and the norm of reciprocity positively influence the tertius iungens orientation and knowledge-sharing activities in social media, while enjoyment of helping does not have a significant influence. In addition, the tertius iungens orientation has a significant impact on knowledge-sharing activities in social media, which in turn influences individual job performance. Based on the results of this analysis, this study discusses the research findings and proposes theoretical and practical implications of the study as well as the research's limitations.     

Exploring the affect factors of knowledge sharing behavior: The relations model theory perspective

With a view to achieve the ultimate goal of a permanent development, operation, and growth, to any business and enterprise, the strategy of knowledge management must be reinforced, and the sooner the better. In despite of those new and high interests shown toward the organization-embedded knowledge, not much concrete finding has been obtained regarding how and why employees are reluctant to share what they know.In our research, we proposed to base on the relations model theory to explore how different relation models, cultivated and shaped by different corporate cultures, give their influences on the willingness of knowledge sharing from employees. In the mean time, with a view to get closer to the realistic circumstance in the office, we give it a shot to include additional moderating variables, task inter-dependence, as well as time-of-cooperation, into our full research framework, aiming to see if they will disturb the influencing processes between the four principal relations and the willingness of employees to share their knowledge.The result reflects the distinct impact from communal sharing and equality matching on the willingness of sharing, while a subtle but negative impact of market pricing on the sharing willingness. There is no clear effect of authority ranking. Furthermore, in the analysis of interaction mode including additional moderators, the result has exhibited that task inter-dependence does moderate the relationship between communal sharing/equality matching/market pricing and the notion of sharing, while time-of-cooperation also adjusts the influencing processes between communal sharing, equality matching, market pricing, and willingness of sharing. This analysis and study grant us some clues regarding how corporate culture would eventually leverage employees’ intention in sharing their knowledge, and advise the business organizations how they should correctly formulate the knowledge management strategy and activities to augment the knowledge inter-flows between employees.     

Predicting knowledge sharing practices through intention: A test of competing models

In knowledge management (KM)-related research, effective knowledge sharing is considered to be one of the most critical components of KM success. For the present research, the authors conducted a longitudinal, two-phased study to evaluate if the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and three variations of the Theory of Planned Behavior—namely, TPB, decomposed TPB (DTPB), and revised TPB (RTPB)—can adequately predict knowledge sharing behaviors. The first TRA-based study shows a severe limitation in the ability of the intention to predict actual knowledge sharing behaviors collected from a knowledge management platform. In a subsequent study, three variations of TPB-based models were employed to show that, although the independent variables (i.e., attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavior control that is decomposed into controllability and self-efficacy) give satisfactory explanations of variance in intention (R² > 42%), the intention–behavior gap still exists in each of the three models. Only the perceived self-efficacy in the revised TPB can directly predict knowledge sharing behaviors. This gap highlights the importance of knowledge sharing as a fundamentally social activity for which the actualization of intention into actions may be interrupted due to barriers such as a mistake-free culture or others’ deliberate misinterpretations that may in turn cause unanticipated negative consequences to the person. The theoretical implication of this study is that in applying TPB to study knowledge sharing practices, researchers must focus on control beliefs that reflect people’s capacity to overcome possible environmental challenges encountered in carrying out their knowledge sharing intentions.     

Communication in the face of a school crisis: Examining the volume and content of social media mentions during active shooter incidents

Little is known about the effectiveness of social media in delivering information during active shooter incidents at the P-12 level. This study analyzed social media activity that occurred during and after two active shooter events on September 30, 2014. Over 5000 social media posts from Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and mainstream news outlets were analyzed. Social media analysis outlined the scope of online communication during the first week following the incidents, revealed social media frequency, increases in conversation, misinformation, and differences between parent and student posts. Results revealed spikes in social media chatter following the release of the identities of shooters and victims. Consistent with media dependency theory and the high levels of uncertainty characteristic of the incident, users’ social media posts contained more information than affect displays during the active shooter event. Implications for scholars and P-12 administrators are discussed.     

Retracted: Human factors of knowledge sharing intention among taiwanese enterprises: a preliminary study

Knowledge management (KM) is very important in the business world of today. The Taiwanese government has recognized the importance of KM in helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to innovate through both their internal core competencies and external resources. They have the KM promotion project to combine resources from the information service industry and the academic sector in order to assist SMEs, and have been attempting to introduce the process of KM since 1993. The motivation, opportunity, and ability (MOA) framework has been applied to study how this MOA availability drives knowledge sharing in large enterprises. This study investigates the factors or barriers that influence the intention of knowledge sharing in Taiwanese SMEs through the MOA framework. It should help business managers identify the motivational elements that can encourage investment in it, and then propose pragmatic suggestions for introducing KM initiatives in order to reinvigorate the numbers of KM‐implementing SMEs in Taiwan. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Social network,social trust and shared goals in organizational knowledge sharing

The aim of our study was to further develop an understanding of social capital in organizational-knowledge-sharing. We first developed a measurement tool and then a theoretical framework in which three social capital factors (social network, social trust, and shared goals) were combined with the theory of reasoned action; their relationships were then examined using confirmatory factoring analysis. We then surveyed of 190 managers from Hong Kong firms, we confirm that a social network and shared goals significantly contributed to a person's volition to share knowledge, and directly contributed to the perceived social pressure of the organization. The social trust has however showed no direct effect on the attitude and subjective norm of sharing knowledge.     

Social media mapping innovations for crisis prevention,response, and evaluation

Social media has had a noticeable influence on the practice of crisis communication. Crisis managers are becoming increasingly attracted to social media because of the ability to expand the communication options available to organizations and their publics during a crisis. Previous researchers have identified a variety of benefits and challenges presented by the use of social media for crisis communication. Two new social media mapping applications, SituMap and PhotoSorter, were recently developed to cultivate participation, collaboration, and conversation specifically for crisis communication. The purpose of the present investigation is to explore the features of these applications and discuss the potential benefits of these features for crisis managers in each stage of the crisis lifecycle.     

Profiling good Samaritans in online knowledge forums: Effects of affiliative tendency,self-esteem,and public individuation on knowledge sharing

Two studies investigated what motivates knowledge sharing in online knowledge forums. Based on the uses and gratifications model, we hypothesized that individuals would respond to information requests broadcast by unknown others to fulfill their needs for social interaction (affiliative tendency), to maintain a positive self-image (self-esteem), or to proclaim one’s uniqueness (public individuation). Consistent with the hypotheses, a web-based survey with current users of a public knowledge sharing site found that those with stronger affiliative tendency, higher self-esteem, or stronger public individuation were more likely to contribute to the open information repository (Study 1). However, a 2 (social presence: low vs. high) × 2 (recognition rewards: absent vs. present) between-subjects design experiment also showed that these psychological traits significantly enhanced individuals’ intention to share knowledge on a public web site, only when other users’ presence was rendered salient and individual contributions were visibly acknowledged (Study 2).     

If it's fair,I’ll share: The effect of perceived knowledge validation justice on contributions to an organizational knowledge repository

The organizational value of an electronic knowledge repository depends on the degree to which it offers high quality knowledge to its users. Validation procedures are implemented to monitor and ensure the quality of submitted content. However, if perceived as unreasonable or unfair, validation can have the unintended effect of discouraging employee contributions. Drawing on organizational justice and fairness literatures, we show that both quality perceptions and contribution behaviors are positively influenced by perceived procedural justice of validation, which, in turn, is influenced by perceived informational and interpersonal justice. Implications for organizational knowledge management research and practice are discussed.     

A knowledge broker for collaboration and sharing for SIDS: the case of comprehensive disaster management in the Caribbean*

ABSTRACT

Knowledge sharing can be hindered by barriers that prevent the free flow of information, especially across organizational and other boundaries. Therefore information produced at one location might not be available to entities elsewhere even if there are benefits to sharing this information. This can often lead to 'reinventing the wheel' and wasted investments in duplicating resources and ultimately will lead to the development of knowledge silos. Information technologies can be used to address this problem as they provide opportunities to lower the barriers to knowledge sharing and increase collaboration. This need for knowledge sharing and collaborative technologies can be important for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) within particular regions that are exposed to similar environmental and economic issues that can hinder their development. Although each SIDS may have Knowledge Resources that it uses to address its own issues, there would be benefits to collaborating and sharing these resources to collectively tackle these regional issues. Even when there is a willingness to share and collaborate and entities have been established to foster this collaboration, there is a void in the availability of tools and technologies needed to support collaboration and sharing of resources. This paper describes the research that has been done to help fill this void by designing and developing a technological solution, a Knowledge Broker, for the identification and sharing of Knowledge Resources that may be spread across various locations (e.g. countries). The Design Science Research methodology was used to develop the Knowledge Broker architecture, which provides a single point of access to the knowledge resources within a particular domain. A critical component of this Knowledge Broker is a common, online interactive vocabulary of the domain of interest which provides the terms which are used to describe and search for the knowledge resources available. The Knowledge Broker was evaluated using informed arguments and an illustrative scenario in the Comprehensive Disaster Management domain in the Caribbean region. The initial evaluations that have been reported in this paper indicates that the Knowledge Broker has the potential to increase the efficiency of solving regional issues through the sharing of knowledge resources.     

Clicking vs. sharing: The relationship between online news behaviors and political knowledge

Online news and social media are transforming the process of news production and reading. While research has shown that news media play an important role in providing information to the public in democratic societies, research investigating the impact of sharing news online on the process of public opinion formation is in a nascent stage. This study examines the impact of viewing and sharing online news on two dimensions of political knowledge: factual knowledge and structural knowledge. Results from survey data collected over 3-waves during the 2012 US Presidential Election from an online panel of 403 US adult Internet users show that reading online news is positively related to factual political knowledge. Sharing online news, in contrast, is related to structural knowledge. We discuss these findings and their implications for future research investigating the role of online news.