Understanding the Impact of Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation on Knowledge Sharing

Organisations invest heavily in knowledge management technologies and initiatives which are entirely dependent on the willingness of employees to share their knowledge. Educational and reward programs need to be informed by an understanding of what motivates people to share their knowledge at work. Prior research based on motivational theories suggests the importance of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators to encourage voluntary pro-social behaviours such as knowledge sharing. However, the literature on motivation in the context of knowledge sharing is still emerging and fragmented. This research-in-progress paper therefore proposes an integrated model that brings together theoretical insights from motivational research to explain the influence of key intrinsic and extrinsic motivators on knowledge sharing. Then the paper reports the results of the assessment of the model based on data collected across 8 organisations in New Zealand. The preliminary discussion of the results contributes to the understanding of motivational factors influencing attitude and intention to share knowledge and their relative importance

Engaging low skilled employees in workplace learning : UK Commission for Employment and Skills Evidence Report no. 43

The Employee Demand study (UKCES, 2009) highlighted the significant barriers to learning that are faced by a number of UK employees. This report sets out the findings of a study into the motivators and barriers to participation in workplace learning by low skilled employees. Employees in low skilled jobs are a group which has been overlooked in previous research. The study was carried out by the Employment Research Institute (ERI) at Edinburgh Napier University on behalf of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (the UK Commission). The report presents the results of a survey of both employee and employer views on participation in workplace learning in the care sector in north east England and the hotel sector in Yorkshire and Humberside. As well as a standard survey, the report also outlines the stated preference approach adopted. The stated preference approach allows employees to consider a hypothetical case of participation in workplace learning. Employees were given choices of combinations of job and learning related factors that might affect their preference for or against workplace learning. In conclusion, the report suggests many positive features which employers, individuals and policy makers could build on in developing the skills of people in low skilled jobs, which is important in securing our competitive advantage in the long term

Impact of motivational factors on knowledge sharing behaviour of managers in Ready Made Garments (RMG) Industry of Bangladesh

The study aimed to examine the impact of motivational factors on the knowledge sharing behaviour of managers in the Ready-Made Garments (RMG) industry of Bangladesh. Everyone has knowledge and can be part of knowledge sharing specially in organizations where employees need knowledge from the seniors or other personnel to perform better. However, barriers in the knowledge sharing process are common while some motivators could be effective to overcome those barriers and motivate individuals to share their knowledge with others in the organisations. This study integrates motivational perspectives into the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to examine the impact of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators on managers' knowledge sharing behaviour in selected organisational contexts. The study used a quantitative strategy and a cross-sectional survey method for data collection from 110 respondents comprising general managers, product managers, shift managers, quality managers and line managers from randomly selected top 30 RMG organizations in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The results showed that among the selected motivational factors, enjoyment in helping others was highly associated with knowledge sharing behaviour of managers in RMG organizations. However, expected organizational rewards, reciprocal benefits and knowledge self-efficacy have a moderate level of impact on managers' knowledge sharing behaviour. © 2018, Journal of Business and Retail Management Research (JBRMR)

The social life of the novel idea: What did social psychologists ever do for us?

Purpose - The paper presents the extant literature relating to the social processes of innovation in built environment design teams. The paper connects the relevant and significant work in the field of Social Psychology and Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) to derive a theoretical framework which can be used to direct further research, towards development of the behavioural facet of design management. Design/methodology/approach - First, we establish which aspects of social processes of innovation are already present within the AEC field and examine concepts/ideas in Social Psychology that are likely to be important in understanding group processes within AEC, applying three emergent themes of 1) social climate; 2) risk attitudes and 3) motivation and reward. Second, we identify which elements of Social Psychology may be used to expand, consolidate and develop our understanding and identify gaps in AEC specific knowledge. Findings - The paper suggests that whilst the AEC literature has supplanted some key elements of Social Psychology, this discipline offers a further and significant theoretical resource. However, whilst some aspects of social climate and motivation/reward are well-represented in the AEC field, these have not yet been fully explored. Furthermore, how collective attitudes to risk can influence design decision-making is identified as having a limited presence. Originality/value - This paper is the first to bring together the two disciplines of AEC and Social Psychology to examine the social aspects of innovative design performance in built environment teams. The paper fulfils an identified need to examine the social processes that influence innovative design performance in constructio

What motivates people to become Airbnb hosts – do we know enough? — an exploration of the literature

Airbnb hosts open their doors to provide hospitality for strangers in 7 million homes in more than 100 000 cities around the world. On top of that, Airbnb hosts offer 40 000 guided local experiences across more than 1 000 cities around the world. Yet, in this article, we found that only a limited number of peer-reviewed studies exist on what motivates people to host. Sharing makes a great deal of sense for the consumer, the environment and for communities if managed and balanced fairly by companies and governments. The holistic and thematic map of Airbnb host motivators offered by this article provides hands-on value to those companies and governments and numerous other stakeholders affected by the sharing economy. The findings map a large span of motivational factors that hosts experience, ranging from financial, safety, and security risks of having to submit and renegotiate one’s intimate, affective space and private sphere – to escaping loneliness, connecting with people, making new friends and earning money as a micro-entrepreneur. Finally, the article finds that the thematic categories are interrelated, as the existence of an assurance structure for financial transactions does seem to reduce uncertainty among hosts, allowing them to participate.Keywords: Airbnb host motivation, Airbnb micro-entrepreneurship, collaborative consumption, sharing econom

Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Knowledge Sharing in the Workplace

The increasing use of digital communication tools in the workplace coupled with the ability of AI gives rise to new ways to capture knowledge from everyday communications such as work email and online meetings, and share this knowledge with others. While this has benefits for organisations, little is known of how employees may respond. The aim of this study is to examine factors that influence employees\u27 willingness to share their knowledge knowing that their communications may be analysed, and the knowledge shared with others. Drawing on the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), this study examines the impact of motivating and inhibiting factors on knowledge sharing. The findings point to the importance of self-efficacy, reciprocity, and reputation for enhancing knowledge sharing in this context. However, concerns about being monitored may hinder knowledge sharing

Motivational factors for academicians in private universities to participate in knowledge-sharing activities

Everybody can be part of knowledge-sharing activities, and this is especially true if we are referring to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), where, in many situations, knowledge sharing can be seen to take place via natural activities. However, barriers and problems for knowledge sharing are also common. This is because some people think that their knowledge is valuable and important and are unwilling to share unless there are enough incentives. This study applies the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to explain knowledge-sharing behaviour among academic staff at selected private HEIs in Malaysia. The main objective of this study is to identify the motivation that influences knowledgesharing behaviour. A total of 110 respondents participated in answering this study's questionnaire. The findings revealed that knowledge-sharing behaviour among academic staff exists and is affected by different motivational factors such as organisational rewards and reciprocal benefit as extrinsic factors and self efficacy and enjoyment in helping other as intrinsic factors

Critical Success Factors for Innovative Performance of Individuals - A Case Study of Scania

The competitive corporate environment of today, as marked by continuous changes and enhanced global competition, forces companies to constantly adapt their current business activities and increasingly excel. Innovation is considered a critical imperative in order to respond to these increased competitive threats. Hence, innovation ought to permeate corporate environments and their inherent business activities. Recent global studies indicate that innovation is considered particularly vital within the highly competitive automotive industry; 93 percent of its senior executives rank innovation as critical to long-term corporate success. Companies thus must embrace innovation through the consequent incorporation of levers for enhanced innovative performance throughout organisational settings and adherent contexts. The critical importance of particularly innovative individuals has been elucidated in recent studies. Therein, particularly innovative individuals have been identified as the single most critical element of innovative success of companies. To scrutinise the underlying critical success factors for the significant innovative performance of these particularly innovative individuals can thus be considered a key to long-term corporate innovative success and according also to corporate survival. Purpose: The purpose of this master thesis project was to identify critical success factors for innovative performance of individuals within Scania specifically. Hence, this master thesis project aimed at increasing the corporate understanding therein. Method: Throughout this master thesis project, a system approach with a qualitative grip was applied, in order to capture complex interlinks and interdependencies. An explorative case study with focus on internal top innovators was conducted at Scania. It was preceded by exhaustive desk studies along with a quantitative survey of Scania‟s internal patent III database, which selected the survey units to include in the case study. As a key performance indicator of innovative performance, the number of registered invention submissions during the years of 2009, 2010 and 2011 was applied. Interviews, previous research and literature studies were the main data gathering techniques used. Semi-structured interviews with the selected top innovators provided qualitative primary data and constituted the major source of empirical data. Previous research provided exhaustive quantitative secondary data through register data from Scania‟s internal patent database, along with company-specific information. Literature studies provided foremost qualitative secondary data to the initial desk studies. Conclusions: The authors present six different critical success factors for innovative performance of individuals within Scania; motivation, creativity, innovative features, assignment, time for innovation and collaboration. Motivation must be in place through the presence of foremost intrinsic motivation but also extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivators must be present within all individuals. Moreover, extrinsic motivators, especially synergistic ones, must be in place throughout the organisation of Scania. Creativity must be in place within individuals through the presence of all its three components; i.e. creativity skills, task motivation and expertise. Yet, creativity skills were identified as the most critical component of creativity. Expertise was identified as the least critical component of creativity, as it can be compensated for through various external means. Innovative features must be present within individuals through three subcategories that were identified by the authors. These are personal traits, practical approach and intellectual skills. No single innovative feature was distinguished as utterly critical. Yet, individuals must possess innovative features of all three identified subcategories and preferably be particularly strong in at least one innovative feature of each subcategory. Assignment entails assigned general work field and inherent work tasks. Work field was identified to determine the general degree of innovation potential and hence is indirectly critical. Work tasks were identified as utterly critical, through their entailed degree of radical novelty, exposure to novel technologies and offered overall exploration potential. Particularly notably; assignment as a critical success factor for innovative performance was not explicitly articulated throughout the studied theory. Time for innovation must be offered through a certain degree of incorporated organisational slack. Yet, three identified fundamental prerequisites must be in place, in order for it to be favourable; the organisational slack must be balanced, flexible and properly managed. Collaboration is generally important to innovative performance. Yet, it is only critical on condition that some identified fundamental prerequisites are in place within the actual team. The most critical prerequisites of IV favourable collaboration are shared elementary knowledge, clear communication and unified attitudes. Moreover, networks and skunk works were identified as the utmost favourable designs of collaboration. In order to summarise the six identified critical success factors for innovative performance of individuals within Scania, the authors present the MCIATC framework for individual innovative profile, which can be considered an applicable tool in order to support the enhancement of innovative performance throughout the organisation of Scania

Knowledge management in the voluntary sector: A focus on sharing project know-how and expertise

Voluntary sector organisations are operated principally by volunteers who are not obliged to share their knowledge, as might be expected in a for profit company, with a greater consequent loss of knowledge should individuals leave. This research examines how a volunteer-led organisation, the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), acquires, stores and shares its project knowledge in the context of event management. Three annual CAMRA festivals of different sizes and maturity were selected to see how volunteers' knowledge is managed in the process of organising their festivals. Key festival officers were interviewed and focus groups, comprising of festival volunteers, were conducted. While the maturity of a festival and its size seemed to influence the ways in which knowledge was managed there were some commonalities between festivals. Evident was a strong master-apprentice model of learning with little formal training or record keeping except, that is, where legislation and accountability in treasury and health and safety functions were necessary. Trust between volunteers and their need to know and to share information appeared to be dependent, in part, on their perception and confidence in the success of the overarching project organisation, and this helped shape volunteers' knowledge sharing practices. Whilst there was evidence of a laissez-faire approach to codification and the sharing of knowledge, this was less so when volunteers recognised a genuine lack of knowledge which would hinder the success of their festival. The analysis also highlighted factors related to the sharing of knowledge that, it is suggested, have not been identified in the for-profit sector

Knowledge Contribution Motivators – An Expectation-Confirmation Approach

Individual knowledge needs to be shared across IS developing organizations to provide information for all types of decisions. Considering knowledge management (KM) as a two-part process of knowledge contribution and knowledge seeking, we focus on the former one as it is (1) the required condition for knowledge sharing and (2) the greater challenge to accomplish by organizations compared to implementing successful knowledge seeking. Distinguishing different types of individual and organizational extrinsic motivators based on self-determination theory, we use expectation-confirmation theory (ECT) to analyze the extent to which software developers’ expectations towards knowledge contributions are fulfilled by organizations. Additionally, showing extrinsic motivators’ importance for software developers to contribute to KM systems, we provide organizations a roadmap for setting favorable conditions. Whereas our consolidation of previous research on knowledge contribution provides guidelines for future research on extrinsic motivators, we contribute to existing theory by applying ECT to the context of KM contribution