| Author: | Engriwan, Wilhelmi |
| Title: | Examining knowledge sharing behaviors from motivational, social capital and cultural perspectives : empirical study on postgraduate students in Hong Kong |
| Degree: | D.B.A. |
| Year: | 2008 |
| Subject: | Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations. Knowledge management. Technology transfer. Infrastructure (Economics) Graduate students -- China -- Hong Kong. |
| Department: | Graduate School of Business |
| Pages: | 170 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | Many researchers have studied practices being used to motivate individuals to share their knowledge at the organizational level. However, relatively little study has been performed on the suitability of these practices in higher educational institutions, in particular, knowledge sharing behaviors at the individual level. The aim of this study is to develop and to test a framework for examining students' knowledge sharing behaviors in a higher educational institution. Limited research on Knowledge Management (KM) practices in higher educational institutions has led to a need for a greater understanding on KM activities that can offer benefits for both academics and students as well as opportunities for institutions to improve their programmes' quality with the aim to distinguish their institutions among others in this competitive market. The purpose of the study is to examine empirically the effects of motivational, social capital and cultural factors on students' intention to share knowledge with other students. It posits that knowledge sharing behaviors are influenced not only by personal motivations but also by contextual factors (e.g. the relationship between knowledge source and recipient, and group conformity). The outcome of the research will enable educational institutions to effectively encourage students to share their knowledge with the possibility of increasing their learning capabilities. Therefore, the objectives of the study are to: 1) examine the KM practices in a higher educational institution; 2) develop a framework to examine knowledge sharing behaviors among students; (3) examine the relationships between motivational, social capital, cultural factors and the intention to share knowledge; and 4) provide recommendation for improving the KM practices. In order to achieve the above objectives, an in-depth study was conducted on a local university in Hong Kong. Structured questionnaires were used for data collection and based on the established theories, a framework was proposed that integrated the nodal level relationships of the source and intention to share knowledge. The results of the empirical research revealed positive relationships between intention to share knowledge and four independent variables. One independent variable, structural dimension, could not be analyzed because there were not enough items to determine the significance of the variable after one of the two items was dropped due to an insignificance earlier result. Another independent variable, information culture, was found to have little effects on the intention to share knowledge. Second, relational dimension was found to be the most important factor influencing knowledge sharing behaviors. Third, intrinsic motivation was found to influence students' knowledge sharing behaviors more than extrinsic motivation. Finally, the empirical research demonstrated that knowledge sharing activities existed in the researched educational institution and that these activities were influenced by the relationships between knowledge source and knowledge recipient as well as group conformity. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
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| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| b22414654.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 8.17 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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