چکیده (انگلیسی):

Both practitioners and researchers recognize the increasing importance of knowledge sharing in
organizations (Bock, Zmud, Kim, & Lee, 2005; Vera-Muñoz, Ho, & Chow, 2006). Knowledge
sharing influences a firm’s knowledge creation, organizational learning, performance
achievement, growth, and competitive advantage (Bartol & Srivastava, 2002; Bock & Kim, 2002;
Vera-Muñoz et al., 2006). However, an individual’s natural tendency is to hoard knowledge rather
than to share knowledge (Davenport, 1997; Ruggles, 1998). So, how can knowledge sharing be
encouraged?
Extrinsic rewards are believed to effectively motivate desired behaviors (Bartol & Locke, 2000).
Under certain environmental conditions, extrinsic rewards are also believed to develop a more
sustained motivation, called “self-determined motivation,” for these behaviors (Deci & Ryan,
1991). These ideas raise the following questions: (a) Do extrinsic rewards motivate students to
share knowledge? and (b) How can universities encourage individuals to develop the selfdetermined motivation to take part in desired behaviors such as knowledge sharing?
This study investigates the effect of extrinsic rewards on knowledge sharing in a team setting. It
also examines whether universities can facilitate individuals’ continued or self-determined
motivation to share knowledge using certain environmental conditions. To examine these
questions, I perform an experiment with 113 undergraduate students from accounting and
management classes who are working on team projects. Results suggest that specifically
rewarding knowledge sharing can increase individuals’ knowledge-sharing behaviors and, in the
right environment, their internalization of the motivation to share knowledge.