Exploring Determinants of Knowledge Sharing in a Social Network of Practice

Abstract

Network of practice (NoP) operating on social media have been rapidly grown in recent years since the social media allows users not only to create contents, but also to interact with each other. A new type of NoP using social networking services (SNS) is defined as a social network of practice (sNoP). SNoP involves a collection of individuals who communicate, collaborate, and exchange knowledge openly with others sharing a common practice. Relatively little has been published focusing on the factors that influence the participation in knowledge sharing within the sNoP. This study focuses on the determinants of knowledge sharing in sNoP whose inquiry requires not only social theories, but also socio-technical views. Building on the social cognitive theory, the social capital theory, and the technology acceptance theory, this research-in-progress paper aims to explore how personal cognition, social capital, and technology acceptance attitude affect knowledge sharing in sNoP.