Enabling Knowledge Sharing Through Intrinsic Motivation And Perceived IT Support

Abstract

Knowledge is currently viewed as a key organizational resource to gain and sustain competitive advantage. Having the right knowledge at the right time to take effective action has become ever more critical for organizations. A key aspect of achieving this is by promoting conditions that enable organizational members to share their knowledge in the most effective manner. This research investigates the impact of knowledge workers’ intrinsic motivation and their perceived usefulness of information technology support on knowledge sharing. The proposed model is tested using data from a sample of 252 knowledge workers in manufacturing and related industries. Results support proposed hypotheses suggesting that knowledge workers intrinsic motivation and perception of usefulness of information technology support positively affects knowledge sharing. Intrinsic motivation also affects knowledge sharing indirectly by enhancing knowledge workers’ perception of information technology they use to share knowledge. This research underscores the importance of individual characteristics such as motivation and employee perception in sharing knowledge.