Evaluation model for knowledge sharing in information security professional virtual community

• We modelled instrumental factors of knowledge sharing behavior in PVCs.
• We examined relationship between knowledge sharing and risk reduction expectation.
• Perceived consequences, facilitating conditions has a positive effect on behavior.
• Affect has a direct effect on behavior. Yet, social factor has insignificant effect.
• Positive connection between knowledge sharing and risk reduction expectation exist.

Knowledge sharing has been proven to have affirmative effects on both the education and business sectors. Nevertheless, many professional virtual communities (PVC) have failed due to reasons, such as the low willingness of members to share knowledge with other members. In addition, it is not explicitly evident whether knowledge sharing in information security is able to reduce risk. To date, there have been relatively few empirical studies concerning the effects of knowledge sharing and its capability to reduce risk in information security communities. This paper proposes a model that is composed of two main parts. The first part is the Triandis theory, which is adapted to understand and foster the determinants of knowledge sharing behavior in PVCs. The second part explores the quantitative relationship between knowledge sharing and security risk reduction expectation. One hundred and forty-two members from the LinkedIn information security groups participated in this study. PLS analysis shows that perceived consequences, affect, and facilitating conditions have significant effects on knowledge sharing behavior. In contrast, social factors have shown insignificant effects on knowledge sharing behavior in information security communities. The results of the study demonstrate that there is a positive and strong relationship between knowledge sharing behavior and information security risk reduction expectation.