Title: The moderating effect of co-workers' reactions on social ties and knowledge sharing in work teams

Authors: Chiung Hui Huang, Ing Chung Huang

Addresses: Department of Business Administration, Cheng Shiu University, Taiwan. ' Department of Asia Pacific Industrial and Business Management, National University of Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Abstract: Researches have indicated that a close relationship among colleagues (strong social ties) would increase contributors| willingness to share knowledge. We argue that the contributors| perception of their co-workers| reactions would moderate the relationship between social ties and contributors| willingness to share knowledge. The results of this article are consistent with previous researches that social ties enhance the contributors| willingness to share knowledge in work teams. In addition, the co-workers| reactions (attitude/capability) do influence the contributors| willingness to share knowledge. The positive effect of social ties on contributors| willingness to share knowledge would be increased when the contributors perceive that their co-workers| learning attitude is earnest and would be reduced when the contributors perceive that their co-workers| learning capability is strong.

Keywords: social ties; knowledge sharing; work teams; social cognition; interaction; teamwork; learning capability; learning attitude.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLIC.2009.021725

International Journal of Learning and Intellectual Capital, 2009 Vol.6 No.1/2, pp.156 - 169

Published online: 01 Dec 2008 *

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