Examining Commitment in Electronic Knowledge Repository Usage

Abstract

Electronic knowledge repositories (EKRs) are used by organizations to codify, store, and disseminate knowledge. This study presents and tests a research model that examines the role of commitment in the use of EKRs in professional service firms. In particular, this study examines how three types of commitment (affective, calculative, and normative commitment) affect employees' EKR usage behavior. Survey results of 230 EKR users from four large public accounting firms indicate that both affective and calculative commitments exhibit significant positive influence on EKR usage. The effect of an organization's collaborative norms and a user's organizational identification on the three types of commitment is also explored. This study raises implications for researchers and practitioners interested in knowledge management and particularly for professional service firms on how to leverage EKRs to gain a competitive advantage.