Linkages between personality and knowledge sharing behavior in workplace: mediating role of affective states

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between broad and select narrow personality traits and knowledge sharing behavior of employees in workplace. This study especially contributes to literature of personality by uncovering the unexplored affective states in the context of knowledge sharing behavior. Sample was drawn by using simple random sampling without replacement technique. To test the hypotheses, correlation, regression and bootstrap mediation procedures were applied to the sample data. Testing a sample of 274 university teachers, signifi cant associations were found between big fi ve traits, proactive personality, creative self-effi cacy, and knowledge sharing behavior. Openness to experience, conscientiousness, agreeableness, extraversion, proactive personality and creative self-effi cacy were positively related to knowledge sharing behavior, whereas, neuroticism was negatively related to knowledge sharing behavior in workplace. The relationship between extraversion, agreeableness and creative self-effi cacy was partially mediated by positive affect and the relationship between neuroticism and knowledge sharing behavior was partially mediated by negative affect. In conclusion, members of organizations, at all levels, should be trained to manage their emotions and affective reactions intelligently to share knowledge effectively and gain maximum benefi ts from knowledge based assets. In addition, organizational tasks must be assigned to employees with suitable narrow or broad personality traits to maximize the performance level. All the sophisticated, scientifi c and technical works requiring high level of knowledge sharing should not be assigned to neurotic workers. However, agreeable, extrovert, conscientious and open individuals may handle all knowledge sharing activities effectively. It is also suggested that the works requiring scientifi c innovation and creativity could better be performed by people high in creative self-effi cacy, whereas, knowledge works requiring manual dexterity like technology transfer, industry academia linkages and knowledge based networking can best be done by proactive people