Shared digital identity and rich knowledge ties in global 3D printing—A drizzle in the clouds?

Abstract

AbstractResearch SummaryModern audio‐visual digital technology enables the immediate exchange of explicit, but also of tacit knowledge worldwide. Still, when not embedded in strong ties, the international exchange of tacit and proprietary knowledge becomes risky. Our flexible pattern matching qualitative research approach develops new theory and finds that in the nascent 3D printing industry firms exchange explicit and tacit knowledge globally, even in weak ties. The exchanges seem to be grounded in identification processes with digital technology forming a shared digital identity. We conceptualize the shared digital identity as the collective self‐concept(s) of an in‐group towards the creation, emergence, application, and development of digital technology built on a sense of community, enthusiasm, being part of something special as well as common values and norms.Managerial SummaryFirms in the nascent digital industry of 3D printing share knowledge worldwide. Potentials of transferring tacit and proprietary knowledge by modern audio‐visual digital technologies increase constantly. However, so do the dangers of knowledge leakage and competitive risks. A resolution of this tension comes from a new phenomenon, the shared digital identity. A shared digital identity within and among firms enables and informally guards the sharing of tacit and proprietary knowledge via digital technologies. We conceptualize the shared digital identity by a sense of community, enthusiasm, being part of something special as well as common values and norms. The knowledge exchanges assisted by digital technology occur under the aegis of the shared digital identity and accelerate the emergence of digital technologies and so facilitate global business.