Examining Cognitive and Emotive Influences on Knowledge Sharing Behavior Among IT Professionals: An Empirical Analysis

Despite extensive research examining factors influencing knowledge sharing behaviors in organizations, the phenomenon is not entirely understood. This incomplete understanding may be attributed to the nature of human behavior; since actions result from a complex interaction of several situational factors, individual motivations, and emotions related to sharing knowledge. The influence of emotions on knowledge sharing behaviors, however, has received little attention in IS research. Additionally, the vast body of research on knowledge sharing behavior does not explicitly examine whether individuals have the necessary specialized [End Page 1] knowledge to share knowledge. This presumption of specialized knowledge, which may not necessarily be true, needs to be examined along with other factors related to knowledge sharing behavior.

This paper addresses the gaps identified above by developing and testing a research model to investigate the influence of the presence of expertise and evaluation apprehension, a deterrent emotion, on knowledge sharing behavior. We test our model using survey data from 205 IT professionals in the USA. The results indicate that IT professionals’ presence of specialization, organizational pro-sharing norms, and altruism positively influence knowledge sharing behavior. The deterrence emotions, evaluation apprehension, and perceptions of loss of power, although present, have no significant effect on knowledge sharing behavior. Our study also found a negative relationship between evaluation apprehension and knowledge sharing behavior, indicating that IT professionals do not hesitate to share their expert knowledge.