An X-ray of the Factors Influencing Individual Knowledge Sharing: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis

Abstract

Knowledge and its management is a quintessential source of competitive edge. This is more precious and desirous in knowledge-intensive settings i.e. academes, where the stocks in trade (resources) are virtually knowledge driven. And for knowledge to be of essence, it must be transmitted (shared) among individuals. Accordingly, performance is maximized by giving individuals useful knowledge. The objective of this study is to empirically conduct a confirmatory factor analysis(CFA) of the dimensions of knowledge sharing(KS) among individual academic staff.  A valid response rate of 391 was utilized in this study which was obtained from five hundred and ten (510) questionnaires administered to academic staff. Data collection was conducted in all 13 public universities in north central region, Nigeria. The findings reveal that the four factors – nature of knowledge, motivation to share, opportunities to share and working culture as theorized by Ipe (2003) were empirically affirmed to be dimensions of KS in that, the parameters of the CFA were sufficiently achieved given standard thresholds as suggested by scholars/experts. By implication, these factors shape the level of KS practices amongst individual academics in Nigerian public universities. It also reveals that the influence of KS is better predicted by appreciating how these factors interact to shape the KS practices amongst academics. Consequently, Ipe’s factors may not be the only dimensions of individual knowledge sharing owing to the multidimensional nature of the construct. Hence, a call on future studies to replicate, affirm or modify the affirmation in a bid to widen the dimensionality of the construct by factoring in other possible relevant dimensions to minimize the degree of unexplained variance in the construct.

Keywords: knowledge, knowledge Sharing, Individual knowledge.