Hazel Hall's paper presented at the International Conference on Managing Knowledge, University of Leicester, April 10-11 2001. A full text version is also available at http://drhazelhall.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/2001_hall_social_ex_for_kn_ex_leicester.pdf. The material presented here draws on early work for Hazel Hall's PhD, the full details of which are available from http://hazelhall.org/publications/phd-the-knowledge-trap-an-intranet-implementation-in-a-corporate-environment/
Organic Name Reactions for the students and aspirants of Chemistry12th.pptx
Social exchange for knowledge exchange
1. Social exchange for knowledge exchange
Hazel Hall
Senior Lecturer
School of Computing
Napier University, Edinburgh
h.hall@napier.ac.uk
http://www.esis.bim.napier.ac.uk/esis/about_us/hazel.html
Managing Knowledge: Conversations and Critiques 1
University of Leicester, 10-11 April 2001
2. Social exchange for knowledge exchange
Format of the presentation
• introduce topic of doctoral research
• present theoretical framework for the study
• provide short summary of literature reviewed to date
Managing Knowledge: Conversations and Critiques 2
University of Leicester, 10-11 April 2001
3. Social exchange for knowledge exchange
Motivating knowledge sharing: interest in the
topic
• widely discussed topic
• important area for research
• priority area for companies
• more important than issues related to capture, storage or
dissemination of information
Managing Knowledge: Conversations and Critiques 3
University of Leicester, 10-11 April 2001
4. Social exchange for knowledge exchange
Motivating knowledge sharing: suitability for
doctoral research
• respond to need to understand what motivates knowledge
sharing
• emphasis on groups of individuals as well as individuals
Managing Knowledge: Conversations and Critiques 4
University of Leicester, 10-11 April 2001
5. Social exchange for knowledge exchange
Theoretical framework: exchange theory
• from economics
• studies relationships and “exchanges”
• assumes rational decisions based on best value, lowest cost
Managing Knowledge: Conversations and Critiques 5
University of Leicester, 10-11 April 2001
6. Social exchange for knowledge exchange
Analytical concepts and assumptions of
exchange theories
• actors - participants
• resources - “currencies”
• structures - relationships
• processes - interactions, opportunities
Managing Knowledge: Conversations and Critiques 6
University of Leicester, 10-11 April 2001
7. Social exchange for knowledge exchange
Social exchange theory
• actors = people (long-term relationships, known parties)
• resources = what they value (not information/knowledge)
• structures = dependent relationships
• processes = interactions, opportunities
Managing Knowledge: Conversations and Critiques 7
University of Leicester, 10-11 April 2001
8. Social exchange for knowledge exchange
Exchange structures
Productive
Direct
Generalised
Joint output
Managing Knowledge: Conversations and Critiques 8
University of Leicester, 10-11 April 2001
9. Social exchange for knowledge exchange
Interest in social exchange theory
• Anthropology - social cohesion (generalised exchange, gift
giving)
• Behavioural psychology - learning
• Sociology - power relationships, commitment, affective ties
Managing Knowledge: Conversations and Critiques 9
University of Leicester, 10-11 April 2001
10. Social exchange for knowledge exchange
Social exchange theory and knowledge sharing
Implied - examples
• relationship between job demands and innovative work
behaviour
• relationships between employers and employees
• support of word-of-mouth information flows in marketing
Managing Knowledge: Conversations and Critiques 10
University of Leicester, 10-11 April 2001
11. Social exchange for knowledge exchange
Social exchange theory and knowledge sharing
Alluded - examples
• Constant et al (1994) - “exchange and expressive theory of
information sharing”
• limited follow-up of Constant et al’s work
• Nahapiet & Ghoshal (1998) - knowledge markets, creating
social capital and knowledge capital
Managing Knowledge: Conversations and Critiques 11
University of Leicester, 10-11 April 2001
12. Social exchange for knowledge exchange
Social exchange theory and information science
Implied - examples
• processes of scholarship
• scholarly communication
• citation analysis and trust
• information sharing across networks
• acknowledgements and gift giving
Managing Knowledge: Conversations and Critiques 12
University of Leicester, 10-11 April 2001
13. Social exchange for knowledge exchange
Social exchange for knowledge exchange
Incentives
• resources: rewards for knowledge sharing where knowledge
is a private good
• conditions: create moral obligation, where knowledge is a
public good
NB majority of papers reviewed to date make no reference to
social exchange theory
Managing Knowledge: Conversations and Critiques 13
University of Leicester, 10-11 April 2001
14. Social exchange for knowledge exchange
Exchange resources for knowledge sharing: hard
rewards
• economic rewards, e.g. cash, bonuses
• access to information and knowledge
• career advancement/security
Managing Knowledge: Conversations and Critiques 14
University of Leicester, 10-11 April 2001
15. Social exchange for knowledge exchange
Exchange resources for knowledge sharing: soft
rewards
• enhanced reputation
• personal satisfaction
Managing Knowledge: Conversations and Critiques 15
University of Leicester, 10-11 April 2001
16. Social exchange for knowledge exchange
Exchange conditions for knowledge sharing
• explicit responsibility to knowledge share
• experimentation as a legitimate activity
• status ignored
• communities: shared identity/commitment/obligation to
support social interaction
• provision of information and communication technologies
Managing Knowledge: Conversations and Critiques 16
University of Leicester, 10-11 April 2001
17. Social exchange for knowledge exchange
Easy to use
System Hard to use
& useful Rewards & useless
Soft Hard
Participants
Volunteers Conscripts
Groupings
Teams Individuals
Ties
Strong Weak
Control
Loose Tight
Status
Irrelevant Matters
Influence of resources and conditions
Managing Knowledge: Conversations and Critiques 17
University of Leicester, 10-11 April 2001
18. Social exchange for knowledge exchange
Easy to use
System Hard to use
& useful Rewards & useless
Soft Hard
Participants
Volunteers Conscripts
Groupings
Teams Individuals
Ties
Strong Weak
Control
Loose Tight
Status
Irrelevant Matters
Reading of the literature
Managing Knowledge: Conversations and Critiques 18
University of Leicester, 10-11 April 2001
19. Social exchange for knowledge exchange
Easy to use
System Hard to use
& useful Rewards & useless
Soft Hard
Participants
Volunteers Conscripts
Groupings
Teams Individuals
Ties
Strong Weak
Control
Loose Tight
Status
Irrelevant Matters
Outcome of PhD research?
Managing Knowledge: Conversations and Critiques 19
University of Leicester, 10-11 April 2001