A motivation model for knowledge management within an organisation

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to elucidate the motivation for knowledge-sharing; this was achieved by integrating a model of psychology contract and a Hierarchical Model of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation (HMIEM). Major findings of this research are as follows. Firstly, from an organisational viewpoint, the motivation is affected directly by the commitment, with internalisation and identification commitment being important to motivating knowledge sharing. Secondly, from the viewpoint of individuals, the motivation is influenced directly by the needs of an employee for knowledge-sharing behaviour. Furthermore, the need for autonomy influences motivation more than does the need for relatedness and competence. Employees do not share knowledge spontaneously even they are aware of the expectation or pressure from their employing organisation. For academics, this study contributes to the development of knowledge-sharing models by elucidating the linkages between the model of psychological contract and HMIEM.