Abstract
This study investigates the relational dimensions that shape clinicians' intentionality and motivation for knowledge-sharing. Qualitative data was collected from 40 clinicians in two hospitals, and relational models theory was used to investigate the impact of different relational models (communal-sharing, authority-ranking, equality-matching and market-pricing) on clinicians' intentionality and motivation to engage in knowledge and learning. While communal-sharing and expert-based authority–ranking relationships predominantly encourage intra-professional knowledge-sharing, equality-matching encourages inter-professional knowledge-sharing. This implies that while the idea is to work together to improve public service quality, each actor has their own interests and is motivated to share knowledge for different collective and/or personal reasons/agendas. In the public sector, formal authority-ranking and market-pricing are the main driving forces of coordination of actions and knowledge flow, through the medium of money and trade. Despite this, power games and a lack of support from those in positions of authority and ignorance of potential conflicts of interest, as well as extrinsic motivators, hamper knowledge-sharing, all of which threaten patient safety. Points for practitioners In pursuit of public service improvement, a focus on fostering an organizational culture that promotes collective behaviour, especially among those in authority, is crucial, given that their lack of support retards knowledge-sharing. For effective knowledge-sharing, both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators are equally important depending on the relational model.
Highlights
As in all fields of professional practice, there is growing interest in stimulating knowledge-sharing practices in healthcare organizations
Professional proximity represents the shared identity that homogenous professional groups have in common. This strengthened ties between actors involved in knowledge-sharing, which in turn encouraged individuals to actively learn from one another in their professional groups
The purpose of this study was to apply Relational models theory (RMT) to a comprehensive investigation of how different relational models shape clinicians’ intentionality and motivation to collaborate and share their knowledge in order to care for patients in their daily job
Summary
As in all fields of professional practice, there is growing interest in stimulating knowledge-sharing practices in healthcare organizations. Medical knowledge-sharing, needs careful integration of expertise from several interdisciplinary areas. In this context, high levels of interaction and cooperation are required (El Morr and Subercaze, 2010) where intentionality and motivation condition such cooperative behaviour (Nahapiet et al, 2005). High levels of interaction and cooperation are required (El Morr and Subercaze, 2010) where intentionality and motivation condition such cooperative behaviour (Nahapiet et al, 2005) This realization has shifted the focus of literature from the technical side of knowledge-sharing to social relationships and their role in guiding knowledge-sharing behaviour Current relational research has left a significant gap in our understanding of the differences in relational contexts/models and the way they shape clinicians’ intentionality and motivation. Boer et al (2011) argue that intentionality and motivation to share knowledge are shaped by the relational models in which they are embedded
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