How Does Guanxi Affect Intention to Share Knowledge in the US? A Replication Study

Abstract

We undertake a replication of research conducted in China, The Impact of Trust, Guanxi Orientation and Face on the Intention of Chinese Employees and Managers to Engage in Peer-To-Peer Tacit and Explicit Knowledge Sharing, originally published in Information Systems Journal. The study explores how aspects of Guanxi affect the intention to share knowledge. Guanxi is the Chinese phenomenon of a tight network or relationship, and the original research found that it influences the intention to share both tacit and explicit knowledge. The original study explored Cognitive, Affect, Face-Saving, and Face-Gaining constructs in explaining the influences on the intention to share knowledge. We look at how this study translates to a US business school to find out if any of the original constructs apply outside of Chinese culture in regards to sharing knowledge. Our study did not demonstrate any relationship with the FaceSaving or Face-Gaining aspects of Guanxi on the intention to share knowledge. On the other hand, we did find that the Cognitive construct (skills) had a positive relationship with knowledge sharing, unlike the original. Last, both studies demonstrate a relationship between Affect and knowledge sharing, as well as Guanxi (or relationship) and knowledge sharing, indicating that people who get along well and like each other are more likely to share knowledge, regardless of Chinese or US cultural background.