| Peer-Reviewed

Using Organisational Culture to Enhance Knowledge Sharing in Virtual Communities

Received: 17 April 2019     Accepted: 3 July 2019     Published: 31 January 2020
Views:       Downloads:
Abstract

Many knowledge sharing models have been developed but they mostly explain how knowledge flows from source to destination and hardly provide adequately validated organisational cultural factors that affect knowledge sharing in virtual communities (VCs) though VCs are recognised in literature as a software tool for knowledge sharing in organisations. The research reported in this paper undertook this task by developing a conceptual model to hypothesise the relationship between organisational culture (support, innovation, co-ordination and rules orientations) and knowledge sharing. Data was collected from over 200 VC members. Detailed group analyses were performed to test the conceptual model. The research found that support, co-ordination and rules orientation have positive causal relationships with sharing knowledge online. The research also highlights that just a software tool like a VC will not be sufficient to enable knowledge sharing online. The implication is that training, support in personal and work problems, inter-departmental co-ordination and teamwork will have positive affect on knowledge sharing in VCs. Also, face-to-face gatherings and a leading role of managers to share their knowledge will increase online knowledge sharing. The research has implications for KM (Knowledge Management) practitioners, managers, and information systems researchers. The findings of the research can be used in assessing VC knowledge sharing systems plans from an organisational cultural perspective.

Published in American Journal of Engineering and Technology Management (Volume 5, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.ajetm.20200501.11
Page(s) 1-11
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Knowledge Sharing, Organisational Culture, Virtual Communities, Knowledge Management, Co-ordination and Rules Orientation

References
[1] P. Senge, “Looking ahead: Implications for the present,” Harvard Business Review, 1997, 30-32.
[2] F. Reid, “Creating a knowledge sharing culture among diverse business units,” Employment Relations Today, 2003, 30 (3): 43-49.
[3] Roger J Calantone, S Tamer Cavusgil and Yushan Zhao, “Learning orientation, firm innovation capability, and firm performance,” Industrial Marketing Management, 2002, 515-524.
[4] I. Nonaka and H. Takeuchi, The Knowledge-Creating Company: How Japanese Companies Create the Dynamics of Innovation, 1995, NY: Oxford University Press.
[5] C. O’Dell and J. Grayson, Jr., If Only We Knew What We Know, 1998, NY: Free Press.
[6] S. Al-Hawamdeh, Al-Hawamdeh, Knowledge management cultivating knowledge professionals, 2003, Oxford: Chandos Publishing.
[7] M. Jacobson, “Knowledge sharing between individuals” in D G Schwartz (ed) Encyclopedia of Knowledge Management, Hershey, PA: Idea Group Reference, 2006, 507–514.
[8] F. Lin 2007, “The role of online and offline features in sustaining virtual communities: an empirical study,” Internet Research, 17 (2): 119-138.
[9] W. Li, “Virtual knowledge sharing in a cross-cultural context,” Journal of Knowledge Management, 2010, 14 (1): 38-50.
[10] A. Ardichvili, M. Maurer, W. Li, T. Wentling and R. Stuedemann, “Cultural influences on knowledge sharing through online communities of practice,” Journal of Knowledge Management, 2006, 10 (1): 94-107.
[11] S. Bashir, A. Usoro and I. Khan, “Knowledge sharing in virtual communities: Societal culture considerations,” International Journal of Economics and Management Engineering, 2014, 1 (1): 12-20.
[12] S Bashir, A. Usoro, A., and Khan, I. 2015. Knowledge sharing in virtual communities: A comparison of three different cultures. Journal of E-Business Development. 5 (1): 12-20.
[13] I. Khan, A. Usoro, G. Majweski and M. Kuofie, “An Organisational Culture Model for Comparative Studies: A Conceptual View,” International Journal of Global Business, 2010, 3 (1): 53-82.
[14] A. Usoro, M. Sharratt, E Tsui and S. Shekhar, “Trust as an antecedent to knowledge sharing in virtual communities of practice,” Knowledge Management Research and Practice, 2007, 5: 199-112.
[15] Don A. Dillman, D Jolene Smyth and Leah Melani Christian, Internet, Mail, and Mixed-Mode Surveys: The Tailored Design Method. Hoboken, 2009, NJ, John Wiley and Sons.
[16] E. Babbie, Survey Research Methods, 1990, Belmont, California: Wadsworth publishing.
[17] A. Field, Discovering Statistics using SPSS, 2009, Los Angeles: Sage Publication Ltd.
[18] J. Pallant, SPSS Survival Manual: A Step by Step Guide to Data Analysis Using SPSS for Windows, 2010, Berkshire, England: Open University Press.
[19] L. Cohen, L. Manion and K. Morison, 2007. Research Methods in Education, 2007, London: Routledge.
[20] I. Al-Alawi, Y. Al-Marzooqi, Y., and Mohammed, F. 2007. Organisational culture and knowledge sharing: Critical success factors. Journal of Knowledge Management. 11 (2): 22-42.
[21] Harry Scarbrough, “Knowledge management, HRM and the innovation process,” International Journal of Manpower, 2003, 24 (5): 501-516.
[22] Rand Kamasak, F. Bulutlar, “The influence of knowledge sharing on innovation,” 2010, European Business Review, 22: 306-317.
[23] D. Dougherty, Managing your core in-competencies for corporate venturing. Entrepreneurship – Theory and Practice, 1995, 19 (3): 113-35.
[24] J. Preece, Online Communities-Designing Usability, Supporting Sociability, 2000, Chichester, NY: John Wiley and Sons.
[25] C. Camison, D. Palacios, F. Garrigos and C. Devece, Connectivity and knowledge management in virtual organisations, 2009, NY: Information Science Reference.
[26] S. Lee, D. Vogel, and M. Limayem, “Virtual community informatics: a review and research agenda,” Journal of Information Technology, 2003, Theory and Application. 5 (1): 47-61.
[27] R. Hiebeler, “Benchmarking knowledge management,” Strategy and Leadership, 1996, 24 (2): 22–29.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Imran Khan, Abel Usoro, Malcolm Crowe. (2020). Using Organisational Culture to Enhance Knowledge Sharing in Virtual Communities. American Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, 5(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajetm.20200501.11

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    Imran Khan; Abel Usoro; Malcolm Crowe. Using Organisational Culture to Enhance Knowledge Sharing in Virtual Communities. Am. J. Eng. Technol. Manag. 2020, 5(1), 1-11. doi: 10.11648/j.ajetm.20200501.11

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    Imran Khan, Abel Usoro, Malcolm Crowe. Using Organisational Culture to Enhance Knowledge Sharing in Virtual Communities. Am J Eng Technol Manag. 2020;5(1):1-11. doi: 10.11648/j.ajetm.20200501.11

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.ajetm.20200501.11,
      author = {Imran Khan and Abel Usoro and Malcolm Crowe},
      title = {Using Organisational Culture to Enhance Knowledge Sharing in Virtual Communities},
      journal = {American Journal of Engineering and Technology Management},
      volume = {5},
      number = {1},
      pages = {1-11},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajetm.20200501.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajetm.20200501.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajetm.20200501.11},
      abstract = {Many knowledge sharing models have been developed but they mostly explain how knowledge flows from source to destination and hardly provide adequately validated organisational cultural factors that affect knowledge sharing in virtual communities (VCs) though VCs are recognised in literature as a software tool for knowledge sharing in organisations. The research reported in this paper undertook this task by developing a conceptual model to hypothesise the relationship between organisational culture (support, innovation, co-ordination and rules orientations) and knowledge sharing. Data was collected from over 200 VC members. Detailed group analyses were performed to test the conceptual model. The research found that support, co-ordination and rules orientation have positive causal relationships with sharing knowledge online. The research also highlights that just a software tool like a VC will not be sufficient to enable knowledge sharing online. The implication is that training, support in personal and work problems, inter-departmental co-ordination and teamwork will have positive affect on knowledge sharing in VCs. Also, face-to-face gatherings and a leading role of managers to share their knowledge will increase online knowledge sharing. The research has implications for KM (Knowledge Management) practitioners, managers, and information systems researchers. The findings of the research can be used in assessing VC knowledge sharing systems plans from an organisational cultural perspective.},
     year = {2020}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Using Organisational Culture to Enhance Knowledge Sharing in Virtual Communities
    AU  - Imran Khan
    AU  - Abel Usoro
    AU  - Malcolm Crowe
    Y1  - 2020/01/31
    PY  - 2020
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajetm.20200501.11
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ajetm.20200501.11
    T2  - American Journal of Engineering and Technology Management
    JF  - American Journal of Engineering and Technology Management
    JO  - American Journal of Engineering and Technology Management
    SP  - 1
    EP  - 11
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2575-1441
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajetm.20200501.11
    AB  - Many knowledge sharing models have been developed but they mostly explain how knowledge flows from source to destination and hardly provide adequately validated organisational cultural factors that affect knowledge sharing in virtual communities (VCs) though VCs are recognised in literature as a software tool for knowledge sharing in organisations. The research reported in this paper undertook this task by developing a conceptual model to hypothesise the relationship between organisational culture (support, innovation, co-ordination and rules orientations) and knowledge sharing. Data was collected from over 200 VC members. Detailed group analyses were performed to test the conceptual model. The research found that support, co-ordination and rules orientation have positive causal relationships with sharing knowledge online. The research also highlights that just a software tool like a VC will not be sufficient to enable knowledge sharing online. The implication is that training, support in personal and work problems, inter-departmental co-ordination and teamwork will have positive affect on knowledge sharing in VCs. Also, face-to-face gatherings and a leading role of managers to share their knowledge will increase online knowledge sharing. The research has implications for KM (Knowledge Management) practitioners, managers, and information systems researchers. The findings of the research can be used in assessing VC knowledge sharing systems plans from an organisational cultural perspective.
    VL  - 5
    IS  - 1
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

Author Information
  • Department of Informatics, University of Sussex, Sussex, United Kingdom

  • Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Ritman University, Ikot Ekpene, Nigeria

  • School of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences, Paisley, Scotland

  • Sections