What comprises social intelligence and can it predict knowledge sharing among diverse information professionals?

Abstract

Limited studies have examined the factor structure of a social intelligence measure in multigroup settings and its relationships with information professionals' knowledge sharing experiences and rationales. Responses from a total of 240 information professionals employed at memory institutions in the US and Korea were analyzed. The findings showed that a parsimonious, re-specified model fit the three-factor structure of the Tromsø Social Intelligence Scale, with weak invariance across the demographic backgrounds of information professionals. The social awareness factor was notably different across culture and gender groups. The study also found that, while social intelligence is not associated with knowledge sharing experience or reasons for sharing knowledge, the reasons were associated with demographic background, particularly with culture and gender. The current study is unique in that it evaluated social intelligence via multigroup confirmatory factor analysis with data from information professionals, which has been called for but is yet rare in the literature.