The Role of Social Networks in Organizational Knowledge Sharing

摘要

Organizations are in important respect social networks, whereby knowledge is socially constructed and shared. This study employed Social Network Analysis (SNA) to investigate the strength of inter-unit ties within a financial organization. The association of these ties with the sharing of different types of knowledge was measured by a specifically created and developed web survey that was provided to twenty two units within the firm. Multiple Regression Quadratic Assignment Procedure (MRQAP) was used to examine two main questions and hypotheses. First, associations between strength of business ties and the sharing of public knowledge ,and second associations between strength of social ties and the sharing of private knowledge. Results showed that strength of business relationships rather than strength of the social relationships contributed most significantly to the sharing of public and private knowledge in this organization. By using new variable configurations and dichotomies for tie strength and knowledge types, the study generated new insights concerning the effects of tie strength on knowledge sharing.