Research Article | OPEN ACCESS
Framework to Increase Knowledge Sharing Behavior among Software Engineers
1Mobashar Rehman, 2Ahmad Kamil Mahmood, 3Rohani Salleh and 4Aamir Amin
1Department of Information Systems, Faculty of Information and Communication Technology, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kampar, Perak, Malaysia
1, 2, 4Department of Computer and Information Science
3Department of Management and Humanities
1, 2. 3, 4Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Perak, Malaysia
Research Journal of Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology 2014 4:849-856
Received: May 17, 2013 | Accepted: June 14, 2013 | Published: January 27, 2014
Abstract
Aim of this study is to increase knowledge sharing among Software Engineers. Knowledge sharing is a key activity in Software Engineering field. However, increasing knowledge sharing in Software Engineering organization is not an easy task because of the lack of experience of top management in dealing with human/social/soft aspects. Previous researches in Software Engineering field have heavily focused on technical aspects rather than non-technical (human/social/soft) aspects. Therefore, a good amount of research work needs to be done to understand the social, job/work and human factors that can affect knowledge sharing. To fill this gap in research, this study proposes a framework based on non-technical aspects of Software Engineers to increase their knowledge sharing behavior. The components which are used to propose the framework includes motivation, personality traits of software engineers, job characteristics and perception towards knowledge sharing technology. Based on extensive literature review, the study suggests that motivation, personality and job characteristics have direct relationships with knowledge sharing behavior whereas perception towards technology plays a moderating role.
Keywords:
Knowledge sharing behavior, motivation, personality traits and job characteristics, software engineers , technology,
References
-
Barrick, M.R. and M.K. Mount, 1991. The big five personality dimensions and job performance: A meta-analysis. Pers. Psychol., 44: 1-26.
CrossRef
-
Barrick, M.R., G.L. Stewart, M.J. Neubert and M.K. Mount, 1998. Relating member ability and personality to study-team processes and team effectiveness. J. Appl. Psychol., 83: 377-391.
CrossRef
-
Beecham, S., N. Baddoo, T. Hall, H. Robinson and H. Sharp, 2008. Motivation in software engineering: A systematic literature review. Inform. Software Tech., 50: 860-878.
CrossRef
-
Bjorson, F.O. and T. Dingsoyr, 2008. Knowledge management in software engineering: A systematic review of studied concepts, findings and research methods used. Inform. Software Tech., 50: 1055-1068.
CrossRef
-
Blau, P., 1964. Exchange and Power in Social Life. Wiley, NY.
PMCid:PMC1423452
-
Bock, G. and Y. Kim, 2001. Breaking the myths of rewards: an exploratory study of attitudes about knowledge sharing. Proceedings of PACIS '01.
-
Briggs, K.C., I.B. Myers and M.H. McCaulley, 1987. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (Form G). Consulting Psychologists Press, Palo Alto, CA.
-
Cabrera, E. and A. Cabrera, 2002. Fostering knowledge sharing through people management practices. Int. J. Hum. Res. Manag., 16(5): 720-735.
CrossRef
-
Capretz, L.F. and F. Ahmed, 2010. Why do we need personality diversity in software engineering? ACM SIFSOFT Softw. Eng. Notes, 35(2): 1-11.
CrossRef
-
Chen, C., P. Liu and C. Tsai, 2008. A study of the influence of organizational knowledge ability and knowledge absorptive capacity on organization performance in Taiwan's hi-tech enterprises. J. Appl. Sci., 8(7): 1138-1148.
CrossRef
-
Chen, P.K., C. Huang and C. Su, 2009. Successful supply chain practices through organizational knowledge are e-business technology. Inform. Technol. J., 8(6): 879-886.
CrossRef
-
Couger, J.D. and R.A. Zawacki, 1980. Motivating and Managing Computer Personnel. John Wiley and Sons, NY.
-
Da Silva, F.Q.B. and A.C.C. Franca, 2012. Towards understanding the underlying structure of motivational factors for software engineers to guide the definition of motivational programs. J. Syst. Softw., 85(2): 216-226.
CrossRef
-
Davenport, T.H., 1997. Information Ecology. Oxford University Press, New York.
-
Deci, E.L., 1976. Intrinsic Motivation. Plenum Press, London.
-
El-Korany, A. and K. El-Bahnasy, 2009. A multi-agent framework to facilitate knowledge sharing. J. Artif. Intell., 2(1): 17-28.
CrossRef
-
Ford, D.P., 2008. Disengagement from knowledge sharing: The alternative explanation for why people are not sharing. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada Finance Division.
-
Foss, N.J., D.B. Minbaeva, T. Pedersen and M. Reinholt, 2009. Encouraging knowledge sharing among employees: How job design matters. Hum. Res. Manag., 48(6): 871-893.
CrossRef
-
Galia, F., 2007. Intrinsic-extrinsic motivations, knowledge sharing and innovation in French firms. Proceeding of the Organisational Innovation: The Dynamics of Organisational Capabilities and Design GREDEG-DEMOS. Sophia Antipolis, November 15-16, 2007.
-
Goldberg, L.R., 1990. An alternative "description of personality": The big-five factor structure. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol., 59: 1216-1229.
CrossRef PMid:2283588
-
Grant, A., 2007. Relational job design and the motivation to make a prosocial differences. Acad. Manag. Rev., 32(2): 393-417.
CrossRef
-
Gupta, B., 2008. Role of personality in knowledge sharing and knowledge acquisition behaviour. J. Indian Acad. Appl. Psychol., 34(1): 143-149.
-
Hackman, J.R. and E.E. Lawler, 1971. Employee reactions to job characteristics. J. Appl. Psychol., 55: 259-286.
CrossRef
-
Hackman, J.R. and G.R. Oldham, 1980. Study Redesign. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA.
PMCid:PMC1282848
-
Howard, A., 2001. Software engineering project management. Commun. ACM, 44(5).
CrossRef
-
Hsieh, P.H. and Y.L. Kao, 2010. A research on the influences of personal characteristics on net study community's knowledge sharing and creating. Proceedings of International Conference on Digital Content, Multimedia Technology and its Applications. Seoul, Korea, pp: 239-244.
-
Hsu, B.F., W.L. Wu and R.S. Yeh, 2007. Personality composition, affective tie and knowledge sharing: A team level analysis. Proceedings of Portland International Conference on Management of Engineering and Technology. Portland, USA.
CrossRef
-
Hurley, T.A. and C.W. Green, 2005. Knowledge management and the nonprofit industry: A within and between approach. J. Knowl. Manag. Pract., (Accessed on: October17, 2011).
Direct Link
-
John, O.P. and S. Srivastava, 1999. The Big Five Trait Taxonomy: History, Measurement and Theoretical Perspectives. In: Pervin, L.A. and O.P. John (Ed.), Handbook of Personality: Theory and Research. Guliford Press, New York.
-
Kim, S., 2008. Appropriation of wireless technology: Direct impacting factors on the youth's adoption intention and usage of the wireless application protocol phone. Inform. Technol. J., 7(8): 1116-1124.
CrossRef
-
Konovskyand, M.A. and D.W. Organ, 1996. Dispositional and contextual determinant of OCB. J. Organ. Behav., 17: 253-266.
CrossRef
-
Lam, A., J. Paul and L. Ford, 2010. Knowledge sharing in organisational contexts: A motivation-based perspective. J. Knowl. Manag., 14(1): 51-66.
CrossRef
-
Latham, G.P. and C.C. Pinder, 2005. Study motivation theory and research at the dawn of the twenty-first century. Ann. Rev. Psychol., 56: 485-516.
CrossRef PMid:15709944
-
Leung, C., 2010. Critical factors of implementing knowledge management in school environment: A qualitative study in Hong Kong. Res. J. Inform. Technol., 2(2): 66-80.
CrossRef
-
Lin, C., 2008. Clarifying the relationship between organizational citizenship behaviours, gender and knowledge sharing in study place organizations in Taiwan. J. Bus. Psychol., 22: 241-250.
CrossRef
-
Liu, K.L., C.C. Chang and I.L. Hu, 2010. Exploring the effects of task characteristics on knowledge sharing in libraries. Lib. Rev., 59(6): 455-468.
CrossRef
-
Martínez, L.G., A.R. Díaz, G. Licea and J.R. Castro, 2010. Big five patterns for Software Engineering roles using an ANFIS learning approach with RAMSET. Proceedings of the 9th Mexican International Conference on Artificial Intelligence Conference on Advances in Soft Computing: Part II (MICAI' 10), pp: 428-439.
CrossRef
-
McElroy, J.C., A.R. Hendrickson, A.M. Townsend and S.M. DeMarie, 2007. Dispositional factors in internet use: Personality versus cognitive style. MIS Quart., 31(4): 809-820.
CrossRef
-
Milne, P., 2007. Motivation, incentives and organisational culture. J. Knowl. Manag., 11(6): 28-38.
CrossRef
-
Organ, D.W. and K. Ryan, 1995. A meta-analytic review of attitudinal and dispositional predictors of organizational citizenship behaviour. Pers. Psychol., 48(13, 48, 49, 78, 135): 775-802.
CrossRef
-
Rabbiosi, L., K. Makela and L. Rabbiosi, 2009. Organizational climate and knowledge sharing: An individual level perspective. Proceedings of 2009-CBS, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark.
PMid:19568051
-
Rehman, M., A.K. Mahmood, R. Salleh and A. Amin, 2011. Understanding motivators and de-motivators for software engineers: A case of Malaysian software engineering industry. Proceedings of ICSECS, 3: 205-214.
CrossRef
-
Robbins, S.P., 2003. Organizational Behaviour. Prentice Hall, New Jersey.
-
Sanatnama, H. and H. Brahimi, 2010. Graph drawing algorithms: Using in software tools. J. Appl. Sci., 10(17): 1894-1901.
CrossRef
-
Shafizadeh, M., 2007. Relationships between goal orientation, motivational climate and perceived ability with intrinsic motivation and performance in physical education university students. J. Appl. Sci., 7(19): 2866-2870.
CrossRef
-
Sharp, H., N. Baddoo, S. Beecham, T. Hall and H. Robinson, 2009. Models of motivation in software engineering. Inform. Software Tech. J., 51(1): 219- 233.
CrossRef
-
Sodiya, A.S., H.O.D. Longe, S.A. Onashoga, O. Awodele and L.O. Omotosho, 2007. An improved assessment of personality traits in software engineering. Interdiscipl. J. Inform. Knowl. Manag., 2: 163-178.
CrossRef
-
Srinivasan, S.S., 2009. Performance under requirements uncertainty: A personality perspective. Proceedings of PACIS.
-
Tanner, F.R., 2003. On motivating engineers. Proceedings of International Engineering Management Conference (IEMC '03). Managing Technologically Driven Organisations: The Human Side of Innovation and Change, pp: 214-218.
CrossRef
-
Turner, A.N. and P.R. Lawrence, 1965. Industrial Jobs and the Worker. Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration, Boston.
-
Wang, Y., 2009. Building the linkage between project managers' personality and success of software projects. Proceedings of 3rd International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement (ESEM '09), pp: 410-413.
CrossRef
Competing interests
The authors have no competing interests.
Open Access Policy
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.
Copyright
The authors have no competing interests.
|
|
|
ISSN (Online): 2040-7467
ISSN (Print): 2040-7459 |
|
Information |
|
|
|
Sales & Services |
|
|
|