Knowledge system commitment and knowledge sharing intention: The role of personal information management motivation

Knowledge management systems (KMSs) provide organizations processes and tools to capture, organize, and manage knowledge. A plethora of research has investigated how technical and social aspects of KMSs impact users' intentions and usage behavior. Recent inquiries on KMSs have begun to explore individual related factors such as individual motivation and personal information management practices. This study explores the effect of personal information management motivation (specifically information proactiveness, transparency, and formality) on users' commitment to knowledge systems. Theoretically grounded in the three-component model of commitment, the research model tests the relationships between personal information management motivation and the affective, calculative, and normative dimensions of commitment. Survey results of 78 accounting professionals demonstrate that information formality has the strongest effect on users' knowledge system commitment compared to information proactiveness and transparency. This study contributes to knowledge management research by incorporating and emphasizing the power of “person” in knowledge management.