• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.151-173
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to identify the antecedents that impact on the individual knowledge sharing based on motivational perspectives. Specifically, the authors investigate the roles of general self-efficacy and popularity on knowledge sharing drawn on costly signaling theory and trait activation theory. Data from 227 pairs of employees and coworkers working in companies located in South Korea supported the model. General self-efficacy was positively related to knowledge sharing and popularity was positively associated to knowledge sharing. Also, by taking an interactional approach, our study demonstrated the moderating effect of popularity on the relationship between general self-efficacy and knowledge sharing. The positive relationship between general self-efficacy and knowledge sharing is significant when popularity is low, but not significant when popularity is high. Our findings suggest that the various motivation types including intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for knowledge sharing of individuals exist simultaneously and these motivations have an interactive effect on knowledge sharing.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.128-137
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• 2018

Drawing on costly signaling theory and self-enhancement motive, this study examines the relationships among proactive personality, knowledge sharing behavior, and organizational recognition. In addition to the individual characteristic, this study considers job characteristics as conditional factors, and especially proposes the moderated mediation model in which job complexity and variety moderate the relationships among proactive personality, knowledge sharing behavior, and organizational recognition. To prove these hypotheses, empirical analyses are conducted with 166 dyad samples collected from various industries. As predicted, individuals with high proactive personality are more likely to become involved in knowledge sharing behavior, and this behavior increases organizational recognition rated by their supervisors. Moreover, job complexity and variety moderate the positive relationship between proactive personality and organizational recognition is mediated by knowledge sharing behavior. These results reveal the motive in knowledge sharing and the boundary condition that is necessary to increase such behavior. The study findings will ultimately contribute theoretical and empirical implications to the knowledge management literature.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.1-15
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• 2012

We develop an identity choice model within the context of a stereotyping-cum-signaling framework. The model allows us to explore implications of the fact that, when individuals can choose identity, then the distribution of abilities within distinct identity groups becomes endogenous. This is significant because, when identity is exogenous and if the ability distributions within groups are the same, then inequality of group reputations in equilibrium can only arise if there is a positive feedback between group reputation and individual human capital investment activities (Arrow, 1973; Coate and Loury, 1993). Here we show that when group membership is endogenous then the logic of individuals' identity choices leads there to be a positive selection of higher ability individuals into the group with a better reputation. This happens because those for whom human-capital-investment is less costly are also those who stand to gain more from joining the favored group. As a result, ability distributions within distinct groups can endogenously diverge, reinforcing incentive-feedbacks. We develop the theoretical framework that can examine the positive selection and the endogenous group formation. The model implies that inequality deriving from stereotyping of endogenously constructed social groups is at least as great as the inequality that can emerge between exogenously given groups.