Relationship between knowledge sharing and job satisfaction: a systematic review
Pages | 295-312 |
Published date | 14 May 2018 |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-03-2018-0019 |
Date | 14 May 2018 |
Author | Ghulam Murtaza Rafique,Khalid Mahmood |
Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library & information services |
Relationship between knowledge
sharing and job satisfaction: a
systematic review
Ghulam Murtaza Rafique
Department of Library and Information Science, University of Sargodah,
Sargodah, Pakistan, and
Khalid Mahmood
Department of Information Management, University of the Punjab,
Lahore, Pakistan
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of thisstudy was to systematically collect and reviewthe English language studies
that provided empirical evidence for the existence of relationship between knowledge sharing (KS) and job
satisfaction(JS) and their impact on each other.
Design/methodology/approach –A systematic review of the literature was conducted searching
Google Scholar,LISTA, ISI Web of Knowledge, Scopus and ProQuestDissertation and Theses. Searches were
completed through March2017. Language limit was applied; and manual searching from review articlesand
some key studies using backward and forward citation from Google Scholar was also completed. Studies
determining therelationship or correlation between KS and JS wereincluded and books were excluded in this
review. Dataextraction and critical appraisal wereperformed to determine the risk of bias of each study.
Findings –The findings clearlyreveal that these two variables had a significant relationship with and were
influenced by each other. It is concluded that KS hada positive impact on JS and, similarly, JS had strong
effect on KS among the individualsworking in different organizations.
Originality/value –This reviewis firstto examine the relationship between KS and JS and their impacton
each other by systematically collecting and reviewing the English language studies. This study has
theoreticaland practical implications for managers and HR departments.
Keywords Relationship,Knowledge sharing,Literature review, Job satisfaction, Knowledgetransfer,
Systematicreview
Paper type Literature review
Background
Knowledge becomes a source of competitive advantage when it is shared among
employees (Sveiby, 2001). Knowledge sharing (KS) is a key element of knowledge
management which plays a vital role in the learning and development of individuals
working in organizations by donating and collecting their information, experience and
knowledge (Bock and Kim, 2002;Lichtenthaler and Ernst, 2006). KS occurs when a
knowledgeable worker supports his/her coworker by developing new capabilities and
experience. The ultimate objective of KS is to transfer the knowledge of organizational
resources and assets among the employees (Dawson, 2000) providing organizations with
a sustainable competitive advantage in the highly competitive economy (Wang and Noe,
2010). It is the key for managing tacit knowledge. Therefore, organizations should also
encourage face-to-face communication and the creation of shared learning experiences,
Knowledge
sharing and
job satisfaction
295
Received21 March 2018
Revised21 March 2018
Accepted9 April 2018
Informationand Learning Science
Vol.119 No. 5/6, 2018
pp. 295-312
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2398-5348
DOI 10.1108/ILS-03-2018-0019
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2398-5348.htm
as well as build a KS culture (Carpenter and Rudge, 2003;Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995;
Ståhle and Grönroos, 2000). KS activities include informal communication,
brainstorming sessions, mentoring and coaching (Filius et al., 2000).
KS involves two parties. One is called knowledge supplier and the other is knowledge
demander (Javadpour and Samiei, 2017). These are also known as knowledge source and
knowledge receiver (Weggeman, 2000)orknowledge carrier and knowledge requester
(Oldenkamp, 2001). For KS, boththe parties should be willing to send or receive knowledge.
If one party is hesitant to share knowledge, the other will suffer and ultimately team,
department and organization will suffer too. Thus, organizations should encourage their
employees to share and receive new knowledge for overall development (Rehman et al.,
2014).
Empirical evidences revealed that there were a number of antecedents of KS behavior.
Ipe (2003) categorized them into four main groups, namely, the nature of knowledge,
motivation to share,opportunity to share and the culture of the work environment.
For instance, explicit knowledge would be easier to share than implicit/tacit knowledge.
Concerning the motivation to share knowledge, empirical studies have identified the factors
stimulating KS which were enjoyment,helping others and self-efficacy (Lin, 2007).However,
motivation to share knowledge is subjected to the availability of opportunity to do so.
Cabrera et al. (2006) explored that information and communications technology in the form
of electronic knowledgerepositories were being used to facilitate KS. The culture of the work
environment plays an important role such as communication climate and organizational
justice affect KS (Kim and Lee, 2006).
KS and job satisfaction (JS) are criticalelements for employees that play an active role in
attaining the organizationalobjectives at micro and macro level. Generally, JS is the attitude
of individuals abouttheir work (job). The concept of JS clearly aroused 75 years ago after the
work done by Hoppock (1935). Its importancecan be analyzed from the findings of Granny
et al. (1992) in which they stated that more than 5,000 studies had been published on this
topic. Practitioners and academiciansbelieved that satisfied workers were more productive
and dynamic as compared to dissatisfiedones (Sarker et al., 2003).
A plethora of definitions was proposed by several researchers to identify multiple
aspects of JS. This concept has received a considerable attention of various researchers in
the fields of human resource management,business and psychology. This concept refers to
positive or negative emotional state resulting from appraisal of an employee’s job or work
(Locke, 1976) which comes from the evaluation of its characteristics (Hodson, 1991).
Mowday et al. (1982) argued that it was the relative strength of identification and
involvement of employees in a certain organization. Spector (1997) argued that JS was part
of an employee’s personalattitude or trait which was influenced by managing and balancing
employees’work-lifeexperiences and challenges at their workplace.
In another detailed definition, JS has been explained as a concept that includes all
characteristics of job and work environment that is rewarding, satisfying and fulfilling for
employees (Rutherfordet al.,2009).Simply, JS is:
The difference between what an employee expects from job and what he/she actually gets from
job. When an employee’s expectations from job are less or equal to what job actually delivers in
return, employee is satisfied. On the contrary, job dissatisfaction results when individual’s
expectations are higher from what the job actually delivers to him/her. (Saeed, 2016, p. 16)
Employees seek information and knowledge to accomplish their tasks and remain
responsive for the completion of numerous routine needs. Bontis et al. (2011) depicted that
employees were more engaged and motivated with their job when they were more satisfied
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