Title: Organisational factors for effective knowledge sharing: an empirical study of Korean learning teams

Authors: Gyewan Moon; Suk Bong Choi; Shaikh Javed Fardin

Addresses: School of Business Administration, Kyungpook National University, 80 Daehak-ro, Buk-gu, Daegu, 702-701, South Korea ' College of Business & Economics, Korea University, 2511 Sejong-ro, Sejong City 339-770, South Korea ' School of Business Administration, Kyungpook National University, 80 Daehak-ro, Buk-gu, Daegu, 702-701, South Korea

Abstract: In a knowledge-intensive work environment, communities of practices (CoPs) are regarded as an important instrument for collaborative learning within an organisation. CoPs are informal relational structures that connect people for the purpose of sharing expertise and experience. In spite of the wide proliferation of CoPs in diverse organisation, the factors leading to effective knowledge sharing in CoPs are still not well understood. Plus, empirical studies are still rare. Therefore, this paper presents a research model that defines the critical factors determining knowledge sharing in CoPs. The contribution of community member motivation and trust to successful knowledge sharing in CoPs is investigated. Plus, the moderating roles of management support and team culture are examined in relation to member motivation and trust for knowledge sharing. Based on extensive survey data from Korean multinational companies, the empirical results show that motivation and trust have an active influence on the knowledge sharing process in CoPs. The roles of management support and team culture are also discussed, along with the theoretical and managerial implications.

Keywords: knowledge sharing; learning teams; communities of practice; CoP; motivation; trust; South Korea; organisational learning; collaborative learning; management support; team culture; multinational corporations; MNCs.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBIR.2016.073246

International Journal of Business Innovation and Research, 2016 Vol.10 No.1, pp.102 - 120

Published online: 30 Nov 2015 *

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