Premium
IT‐mediated social interactions and knowledge sharing: Role of competence‐based trust and background heterogeneity
Author(s) -
Qureshi Israr,
Fang Yulin,
Haggerty Nicole,
Compeau Deborah R.,
Zhang Xiaojie
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
information systems journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.635
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1365-2575
pISSN - 1350-1917
DOI - 10.1111/isj.12181
Subject(s) - knowledge sharing , knowledge management , competence (human resources) , social competence , social knowledge , information sharing , business , social media , social relation , psychology , social psychology , computer science , sociology , social change , political science , world wide web , social science , law
In the knowledge‐based economy, organizational success is dependent on how effectively organizational employees share information. Many studies have investigated how different types of communication activities and communications media influence knowledge sharing. We contribute to this literature by examining increasingly prevalent yet understudied IT‐mediated social interactions and their effects on knowledge sharing among employees in comparison to face‐to‐face social connections. By integrating the literature on knowledge sharing, social networks, and information systems, we theorize the ability of IT‐mediated social interaction to (1) afford interactions between individuals with heterogeneous backgrounds and (2) facilitate frequent IT‐mediated social interactions that are high in competence‐based trust—both supporting effective sharing of knowledge. Through a social network analysis of the employees in a high‐tech organization, this study finds that IT‐mediated frequent social interactions are the most effective in promoting knowledge sharing.