Technology and Knowledge Sharing. The Moderating Effect of Trust, Psychological Safety and Autonomy

Table of Contents

1. Executive summary

2. Abstract

3. Introduction

3.1 What motivates people to share knowledge?

3.2 Hypotheses

3.2.1 Trust

3.2.2 Psychological safety

3.2.3 Autonomy

4. Method

4.1 Participants

4.2 Instruments

4.2.1 Knowledge Sharing

4.2.2 Organizational Trust

4.2.3 Psychological safety

4.2.4 Autonomy

4.2.5 Perception of KMS

4.3 Procedure

4.4 Data Analysis

5. Result

5.1 Descriptive Statistics

5.2 Hypothesis Testing

6. Discussion

6.1 Theoretical discussion

6.2 Practical implication and recommendation

6.3 Limitations and future research

6.4 Conclusion

Research Objectives & Topics

The research investigates the influence of Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) on knowledge sharing behavior and analyzes whether trust, psychological safety, and autonomy act as moderators in this relationship within a retail organization.

• The impact of KMS perception on knowledge sharing.
• The moderating role of organizational trust in digital knowledge environments.
• Psychological safety as a driver for effective knowledge exchange.
• The significance of job autonomy in professional knowledge management.
• Improving knowledge sharing culture in hybrid work settings.

Excerpt from the Book

Summary of Chapters

Introduction: Provides a background on the importance of knowledge sharing in modern organizations and introduces the role of Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) alongside organizational challenges.

Method: Details the research design, including the online survey of 194 employees, the instruments used to measure variables, and the statistical analysis methods.

Result: Presents descriptive statistics and the outcomes of the moderation analysis, confirming the positive impact of KMS and the moderating role of trust and psychological safety.

Discussion: Interprets the findings by contextualizing them within existing literature, discusses practical HR recommendations, and acknowledges the study's limitations.

Keywords

Knowledge sharing, KMS, trust, psychological safety, autonomy, organizational learning, digital work environment, human factors, knowledge management, employee performance, virtual teams, communication, Thalia, decision-making, workplace culture

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the central focus of this research?

The research explores how employees' perceptions of Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) influence their actual knowledge sharing behavior and how social and psychological factors influence this dynamic.

Which factors are examined as potential moderators?

The study examines three specific psychological and organizational factors: organizational trust, psychological safety, and job autonomy.

What is the primary research question?

The core research questions explore to what extent KMS perception relates to knowledge sharing and how trust, psychological safety, and autonomy moderate that specific relationship.

Which scientific methodology was applied?

The study utilized a quantitative approach involving an online survey of 194 employees, followed by descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis with a simple slope analysis for moderation testing.

What topics are covered in the main body of the work?

The main body covers the motivation behind knowledge sharing, detailed hypotheses regarding interpersonal factors, the methodology of the survey, statistical results of the impacts, and theoretical and practical discussions.

Which keywords define this thesis?

Key terms include knowledge sharing, KMS, trust, psychological safety, autonomy, organizational learning, and digital work environment.

Why are low-trust groups more affected by the moderation effect?

In low-trust environments, employees lack informal communication channels, causing them to rely more heavily on official technological systems, which makes the perception of these systems a crucial driver for their behavior.

Did the study confirm that autonomy moderates the relationship?

No, while autonomy was shown to relate significantly to knowledge sharing, it did not show a significant moderating effect on the relationship between KMS perception and knowledge sharing.