The Importance of Sociality for Understanding Knowledge Sharing Processes in Organizational Contexts

Niels Boer, Peter van Baalen and Kuldeep Kumar

ERIM Report Series Research in Management from Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam

Abstract: This paper explores how different models of sociality can contribute to a better understanding of the dynamics of knowledge sharing within different organizational settings. It is asserted that the dynamics of knowledge sharing is organized according to a mix of four relational models distinguished by the relation models theory (Fiske, 1991). It is described how each of these models (communal sharing, authority ranking, equality matching and market pricing) have their own implications for understanding and supporting the knowledge sharing process. What model of social relations is in use, is influenced by cultural implementation rules, the kind of activity with its division of labor and the characteristics of knowledge being shared and technologies being used. By knowing according to what relational model(s) knowledge is being shared, one can better understand and consequently better facilitate the organizational and technical conditions for sharing knowledge (and vice versa).

Keywords: infoculture; knowledge sharing; organizational settings; relation models theory; sociality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: M M11 M19 R14 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2002-03-08
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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