Can monetary incentives improve knowledge contribution? Effects on different types of knowledge

Abstract

AbstractEnterprise social media (ESM) fosters knowledge sharing, but employee's participation in ESM typically wanes. Thus, monetary incentives are often used to solve this problem. This research examined the effect of monetary incentives on four types of knowledge (high‐quality and low‐quality, work‐related and non‐work‐related) and the mediating role of self‐efficacy. Using quasi‐experimental approach to analyze data from an internal company blog, the research indicates that monetary incentives do have impacts on stimulating knowledge contribution, although their effectiveness appears to vary with the type of knowledge. Besides, self‐efficacy could be evoked by monetary incentives and mediate between monetary incentives and knowledge contribution.