Do They Pay Back My Knowledge? Generalized Reciprocity of Knowledge and Creativity in Work Teams

Abstract

The role of knowledge management behavior (KMB) toward individual creative performance remains unclear. We draw on social exchange theory and propose that KMBs of a focal member, such as knowledge sharing and hiding, can predict his/her own creativity to the extent that such behaviors are reciprocated by other members in work teams. Two studies were conducted. Study 1 was an online simulation experiment with 718 participants from the US. Study 2 was a field survey based on a sample of 169 team members and 50 team leaders from Taiwanese and South Korean organizations. Results revealed that in one-to-many relationships in a work team setting characterized by generalized reciprocity, KMBs of a focal member is not always significantly reciprocated by the same KMBs of other members (Study 1). However, KMB reciprocation become significant when team members interact continuously with a focal member and have formed an understanding of the focal member’s social values (Studies 1 and 2). The between-person knowledge sharing (hiding) reciprocation is strengthened when a focal member has collectivistic (individualistic) values (Studies 1 and 2), and this moderated relationship was mediated by the internal attribution of a focal members’ KMB (Study 1). In addition, the relationship between knowledge sharing of a focal member and his/her own creativity is significantly mediated by the reciprocated knowledge sharing of other members toward the focal member (Study 2). This study draws on generalized reciprocity in work teams to clarify the underlying mechanism of the relationship between KMBs and creativity at the individual level.