Social Power Antecedents of Knowledge Sharing in Project-Oriented Online Communities

Abstract

While previous research has explored a number of knowledge sharing factors in project teams, little is known about antecedents of knowledge sharing in the context of communication visibility. Against this background, this article attempts to deepen our understanding of knowledge sharing antecedents in project-oriented online communities (POCs) characterized by communication visibility. Specifically, employing social power theory, this article identifies antecedents of knowledge sharing behavior and knowledge quality and examines hierarchical distance as a moderator between expert power and knowledge sharing. Data collected from 205 Chinese project members in the construction industry are used to test our proposed hypotheses. Results indicate that both expert power of others and oneself are positively related to knowledge sharing behavior and knowledge quality, respectively. Hierarchical distance hinders knowledge sharing behavior but does not significantly influence knowledge quality. In addition, hierarchical distance weakens the magnitude between expert power of others and knowledge sharing behavior but strengthens the magnitude between expert power of oneself and knowledge sharing behavior. Besides, the moderating effect of hierarchical distance for knowledge quality is found to be insignificant. Theoretical implications for project team knowledge sharing and practical implications concerning improving knowledge sharing in POCs are discussed.