National Culture, Trust, Social Networking and Knowledge Sharing Within a Knowledge-Intensive Sector: A Mediation Analysis

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of the four national culture (NC) dimensions of uncertainty avoidance, collectivism, power distance and masculinity on knowledge sharing. In addition, this study aims to examine the mediating effects of trust and social networking on the relationships between the four NC dimensions and knowledge sharing (KS). A theoretical model was developed, and a questionnaire-based survey was designed and targeted a 'knowledge intensive' sector, namely the healthcare sector in Jordan. Findings show that collectivism and uncertainty avoidance were the only two dimensions found to have a positive and significant effect on knowledge sharing, trust as well as social networking. Both trust and social networking were found to have positive and significant effects on knowledge sharing. Trust fully mediated the effect of collectivism on knowledge sharing and partially mediated the effect of uncertainty avoidance, whereas social networking was found to have a partial mediating effect. In conclusion, the study has contributed to the extant NC and KS literature by complementing studying a nation's distinctive cultural traits' on an organisational-level routine.