Mechanisms for Knowledge Contribution and Adoption in the Context of Knowledge Platforms: A Governance Perspective

Abstract

A large and growing body of empirical research investigates the black box of intra- organizational knowledge transfer. Despite its richness, there is a paucity of theoretically- grounded research that integrates the role of governance and social mechanisms in knowledge transfer to understand how they can be simultaneously promoted to create value. In this paper, we rely on three theories: governance, norms and utility to develop a comprehensive model of knowledge transfer and its effects at the individual level. Our model is tested with a survey of 485 employees from a global knowledge service firm. Findings show that knowledge transfer (conceptualized as the contribution, and adoption of knowledge resources) in the context of knowledge platforms and its subsequent outcomes at the individual level can be promoted by three categories of mechanisms: norms-based (identification and collaboration), governance-based (knowledge structure role) and utility-based (knowledge attributes and accessibility). The present study thus contributes to a deeper understanding of the value of intra-organizational knowledge transfer.