Applying social exchange theory in IT service relationships: exploring roles of exchange characteristics in knowledge sharing

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 193-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun-Gi Park ◽  
Hyejung Lee ◽  
Jungwoo Lee
Author(s):  
Sudipta Kiran Sarkar ◽  
Norman Au ◽  
Rob Law

This study, which is based on social exchange theory (SET), focuses on the capacities of social media to provide such means by examining the effect of value in online communities (VOC) in social media platforms on satisfying ecotourists' online socialisation and knowledge sharing. Based on the data obtained from 543 ecotourists and analysed by structural equation modelling (SEM), the results of this study confirmed that VOC, which embeds the SET factors of cooperation, reputation, trust and altruism, significantly influenced ecotourists' satisfaction in socialisation and knowledge-sharing intentions through social media. Furthermore, VOC served as a higher-/second-order factor reflected by the indicators of cooperation, reputation, trust and altruism. Finally, ecotourists' satisfaction in socialisation exerted a significant mediating effect between VOC and knowledge sharing.


2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 609-634
Author(s):  
Estelle van Tonder ◽  
Stephen G. Saunders ◽  
Leon T. de Beer

PurposeIn the absence of direct employee involvement, customers sharing knowledge and know-how with other customers during self-service encounters is key for promoting service quality. This study assessed the extent to which customer support and help during self-service encounters could simply be explained by multiple motivations of the social exchange theory.Design/methodology/approachA survey approach was followed. The model was tested among 258 electronic banking customers in South Africa and later cross-validated among 253 electronic banking customers in Australia. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis with country as the grouping variable, latent variable modelling and indirect tests were performed to assess interrelationships among diverse factors that may contribute to customer support and help during self-service encounters, as accounted for by motivations of the social exchange theory.FindingsAdequate model fit was obtained for the combined structural model, which was based on the invariant model. Value contribution and competence affirmation, pleasure derived from helping, reciprocity and reputation enhancement are relevant motivations of the social exchange theory that may impact customer support and help through knowledge sharing.Research implicationsThe study provides a simplified and more cohesive explanation of customers' motivations for engaging in customer support and helping behaviours during self-service encounters.Practical implicationsService providers seeking guidance on knowledge sharing among customers, which may lead to greater service quality, should benefit from this research.Originality/valueThe findings contribute to greater understanding of social exchanges by customers who provide support and help to other customers during self-service encounters, and that ultimately may affect service quality.


2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (9) ◽  
pp. 1409-1419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yueru Ma ◽  
Weibo Cheng ◽  
Barbara A. Ribbens ◽  
Juanmei Zhou

Using social exchange theory and social learning theory, we examined the influence of ethical leadership on employee creativity through the mediation of knowledge sharing and self-efficacy. We tested our hypotheses with a sample of 309 employees and their supervisors from 4 Chinese companies, using a multiple mediation model. The results showed that ethical leadership was positively related to employee creativity and that this relationship was mediated by knowledge sharing and self-efficacy.


Author(s):  
Gee Woo (Gilbert) Bock ◽  
Young-Gul Kim

This study theoretically examines and empirically tests factors expected to affect an individual’s knowledge sharing attitudes, intention and behavior in an organizational context. The research model is constructed based on the economic exchange theory, the social exchange theory, the self-efficacy theory and the theory of reasoned action. Results from the field survey of 467 employees of four large and government-invested organizations show that ‘anticipated reciprocal relationships’ and ‘perceived personal contribution to the organization’ are the major determinants of the individual’s attitudes towards knowledge sharing. ‘Anticipated extrinsic rewards,’ believed by many as the most important motivating factor for knowledge sharing, are not significantly related to the attitudes towards knowledge sharing. As expected, positive attitudes towards knowledge sharing are found to lead to a positive intention to share knowledge and, finally, to actual knowledge sharing behaviors.


Author(s):  
Dana Mesner Andolšek ◽  
Stanislav Andolšek

Authors introduce a theoretical model of knowledge sharing in an organization through individual perspective. The social exchange theory offers a clarification of fundamental assumptions regarding individual action and is therefore appropriate for explaining why and when an individual is ready to share her/his knowledge in an organization. The article aims to reveal what shapes employees’ decisions to share knowledge in a work situation and what is needed in an organization to facilitate individuals to share and not to hoard their knowledge. These assumptions have never been included in the literature of knowledge management up until now. 


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pinghao Ye ◽  
Liqiong Liu ◽  
Joseph Tan

PurposeThis paper aims to address the question of what can significantly impact employees' IB and how employees' IB may be effectively stimulated by investigating key factors such as employees' knowledge sharing, innovation passion, absorptive capacity and risk-taking behaviour on workplace innovation. The moderating role of risk-taking behaviour on the link between absorptive capacity and innovation behaviour is also investigated.Design/methodology/approachBased on the principles of social exchange theory, the study design explores the complex relationship among knowledge sharing, innovation passion, absorptive capacity and risk-taking vis-à-vis employees' innovation behaviour within a unified analysis framework. Methodologically, employees in the information technology industry in China were surveyed via a questionnaire instrument, with a total of 318 valid questionnaires being collected online. Following a reliability and validity test of the questionnaire, the Smart PLS was used to verify the research model.FindingsStatistically significant results reported were as follows: (1) employees' innovation behaviour is positively impacted by knowledge sharing, innovation passion and absorptive capacity; (2) employees' innovation behaviour is negatively impacted by risk-taking behaviour; (3) knowledge sharing is positively impacted by innovation passion; (4) absorptive capacity is positively impacted by innovation passion; and (5) risk-taking behaviour regulates the relationship between absorptive capacity and innovation behaviour.Research limitations/implicationsOwing to limited research resources, 318 front-line employees were surveyed via an online questionnaire vis-à-vis the sampling method only, specifically taking knowledge sharing, innovation passion, absorptive capacity and risk-taking behaviour as antecedent variables with implications on how employees' innovation behaviour may be stimulated.Originality/valueThe mechanism of augmenting employees' innovation behaviour is chiefly explained from the perspective of innovation passion and risk-taking behaviour, which are conducive towards promoting employees' willingness to improve knowledge sharing and innovation behaviour. The social exchange theory is used as a basis to form an integrated model for the research, contributing to a cumulative theoretical perspective for future work on the impact of innovation passion and risk-taking behaviour on innovation.


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