Employee perception of the knowledge sharing culture in Kuwaiti companies : effect of demographic characteristics

Abstract

INTRODUCTIONKnowledge is a strategic resource that organizations can use to gain competitive advantage (Choi, Poon, & Davis, 2008). Knowledge sharing is the means by which employees contribute to knowledge application in organizations; knowledge sharing can improve performance and reduce operational costs (Jackson, Chuang, Harden, & Jiang, 2006). Knowledge sharing also facilitates the creation of new knowledge and increases intellectual capital (Wasko & Faraj, 2005).Encouraging knowledge sharing among employees can be a challenge in some organizations. Some employees believe that knowledge hoarding is more beneficial to them than knowledge sharing. Some employees perceive knowledge sharing as unnatural and consequently are reluctant to engage in knowledge sharing. Davenport and Prusak (1998) noted that when individuals perceive that power comes from the knowledge they possess, it is likely to lead to knowledge hoarding instead of knowledge sharing. According to Brown and Woodland (1999), individuals use knowledge for both control and defense. Gupta and Govindarajan (2000) also asserted that the perception of knowledge as power discourages employees from engaging in knowledge sharing.Ipe (2003) pointed out that knowledge sharing in organizations is a complex process. It is value laden and driven by power equations within an organization. Knowledge is dynamic in nature; the creation and use of knowledge, as well as knowledge sharing, are dependent on social relationships between individuals. Connelly and Kelloway (2003) suggested that employees' perception of managerial support for knowledge sharing and the organization's social interaction culture have an impact on knowledge sharing. Organizational work cultures also play an important role in promoting pro-sharing cultures in organizations.It is important to identify employees' perception of the knowledge sharing culture in an organization, as this shapes their knowledge sharing behavior. Chowdhury (2006) believed that a major challenge in encouraging knowledge sharing behavior relates to the fact that trust among employees is necessary to ensure that knowledge sharing is effective. Individual factors such as age and gender have a significant impact on employees' perception of the knowledge sharing culture. Sveiby and Simons (2002) suggested that a collaborative climate is one of the major factors influencing the effectiveness of knowledge work. They stressed that a collaborative climate tends to improve with age, educational level and managerial role.There is a need to examine whether the demographic variables of gender, age, education, years of experience, position and industry sector have significant relationships with employee perception of knowledge sharing culture. The findings of this study carried out on Kuwaiti companies contribute to the body of knowledge on the issue of demographic characteristics and their relation to knowledge sharing culture.LITERATURE REVIEWKnowledge-Sharing CultureKnowledge sharing takes place as social interaction that involves the exchange of employee knowledge, experiences, and skills throughout an organization (Lin, 2007). It makes knowledge reusable by other people through knowledge transfer. Van den Hooff, Elving, Meeuwsen, and Dumoulin (2003) termed knowledge sharing as a process that facilitates the exchange of ideas to help create new knowledge. They stated that from a broader perspective, knowledge sharing refers to the communication of all types of knowledge including explicit knowledge (information, know-how and know-who), skills and competencies. They suggested that knowledge sharing occurs when an individual is interested in helping others develop a new capability for action.Work culture plays an important role in promoting knowledge sharing in organizations. Culture is at the deeper level of basic values, beliefs and assumptions shared among an organization's members. …