Can Universities Encourage Students Continued Motivation For Knowledge Sharing And How Can This Help Organizations?

Both practitioners and researchers recognize the increasing importance of knowledge sharing in organizations (Bock, Zmud, Kim, & Lee, 2005; Vera-Muz, Ho, & Chow, 2006). Knowledge sharing influences a firm\u27s knowledge creation, organizational learning, performance achievement, growth, and competitive advantage (Bartol & Srivastava, 2002; Bock & Kim, 2002; Vera-Muz et al., 2006). However, an individual\u27s natural tendency is to hoard knowledge rather than to share knowledge (Davenport, 1997; Ruggles, 1998). So, how can knowledge sharing be encouraged? Extrinsic rewards are believed to effectively motivate desired behaviors (Bartol & Locke, 2000). Under certain environmental conditions, extrinsic rewards are also believed to develop a more sustained motivation, called self-determined motivation, for these behaviors (Deci & Ryan, 1991). These ideas raise the following questions: (a) Do extrinsic rewards motivate students to share knowledge? and (b) How can universities encourage individuals to develop the self-determined motivation to take part in desired behaviors such as knowledge sharing? This study investigates the effect of extrinsic rewards on knowledge sharing in a team setting. It also examines whether universities can facilitate individuals\u27 continued or self-determined motivation to share knowledge using certain environmental conditions. To examine these questions, I perform an experiment with 113 undergraduate students from accounting and management classes who are working on team projects. Results suggest that specifically rewarding knowledge sharing can increase individuals\u27 knowledge-sharing behaviors and, in the right environment, their internalization of the motivation to share knowledge

Motivation and the theory of the firm

This paper proposes to revisit the debate on the theory of the firm using motivation theory as the primary analytical tool.theory of the firm; motivation theory

The organizational design of nonprofits for people with disabilities

Utilizando información obtenida de los directivos de 105 pequeñas organizaciones sin fines de lucro españolas que, en el año 2007, se dedicaban a la prestación de servicios a personas con discapacidad, hemos analizado como el diseño organizativo –en concreto, los sistemas de recompensas extrínsecas e intrínsecas- influye sobre la delegación, la motivación y la transferencia de conocimiento a la hora de lograr el objetivo de la organización consistente en mejorar la calidad de vida de las personas que viven con una discapacidad. Los resultados muestran que, debido a la carencia de conocimiento técnico, los directivos de estas entidades no lucrativas (ENL) deben delegar derechos de decisión en empleados cualificados y utilizar en mayor medida recompensas intrínsecas y extrínsecas para motivar a los empleados a que transmitan conocimiento entre ellos eficientemente.We use data obtained from managers of 105 small nonprofit organizations (NPOs) providing services to people with disabilities in Spain in 2007 to examine how organizational design—particularly, extrinsic and intrinsic reward systems—impacts delegation, motivation, and knowledge transfer to achieve the NPO’s goal to improve the lives of persons living with disabilities. We find that, due to lack of technical knowledge, managers of these NPOs must delegate decision rights to qualified employees and that they successfully use a higher degree of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards to motivate employees to transfer knowledge among themselves efficiently

Factors Affecting Knowledge Transfer in Project Environments

Most project teams consist of knowledge workers, and the issue of how to better transfer knowledge across individuals and groups becomes a central concern. The main purpose of this article is to study the factors affecting the knowledge transfer process and their importance for project’s success. The factors analyzed in this article are trust among individuals, members of the team, project culture, values and the beliefs of the individuals and motivation of those involved in the project, both intrinsic and extrinsic. In order to overcome the barriers affecting the knowledge transfer process, project managers must create an environment where knowledge workers must feel free to share and re-use their knowledge.barriers; knowledge transfer; motivation; trust; project management.

A New Approach to Firm Governance

Over the last twenty years or so, the firm has changed considerably, especially with the growing importance of human capital. Paradoxically, the primacy of the shareholder value model has endured. The aim of this paper is to explore the main theoretical and empirical elements involved to propose a new model of firm governance. We view strategic employees of firms as critical resources because they represent specific human capital. We explain that the inalienable residual rights of control they have over their own human capital are inconsistent with disciplinary models of corporate governance. They rather call for the creation of an internal mode of regulation able to effectively mobilize specific human capital by motivating key employees. This model, which we call the ‘multi-resource model', is composite: we show that it aims to encourage, retain and collectively enrich critical resources by using an original operational system based on complementary instruments of incentive and coordination.