Effect of knowledge sharing visibility on incentive-based relationship in Electronic Knowledge Management Systems: An empirical investigation

Previous studies have confirmed the knowledge sharing visibility (KSV) may ensure the incentive-sharing relationship within traditional organizations. However, considering high loafing tendency in IT-based and distributed environments, this effect should be re-examined. This study examines how KSV impacts on incentive-based relationship in IT-based knowledge management systems. The data were collected from real KM systems in an innovative service company. The results show that, in distributed environment, KSV was still a critical moderators in the prediction of employee’s knowledge sharing behaviors. In the electronic KMS environment, the positive relationship between incentive and KS is stronger when employees’ perceived KSV is higher. This research contributes theoretically to KS literature in examing the KSV as the three-way moderators on incentive-based relationship in IT-based environment, from real organizational samples.

► We examine KSV impacts on incentive-based relationship in KMS.
► This research collect real organizational samples.
► In IT environment, KSV was a critical moderators in predicting KS.
► In KMS, incentive–KS relationship is stronger when KSV is higher.