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How do enterprise social media affordances affect knowledge sharing within project teams: the social cognitive theory view

Xu Ren (School of Economics and Management, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China) (Research Center for Central and Eastern Europe, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China)
Xiangmei Sun (School of Economics and Management, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China)

Information Technology & People

ISSN: 0959-3845

Article publication date: 13 September 2023

Issue publication date: 3 September 2024

706

Abstract

Purpose

The use of enterprise social media (ESM) can promote knowledge sharing within project teams. However, the potential mechanism of ESM affordances influencing knowledge sharing has not been fully studied. This paper aims to develop a theoretical model to explore how individual psychological cognition and environmental factors affect ESM affordances.

Design/methodology/approach

An empirical research using ESM applications was conducted in China, and 214 valid responses were collected for data analysis. Partial least squares structural equation modeling method was performed to test the theoretical model and hypotheses.

Findings

The results suggest the following implications: (1) the visibility, persistence, editability and association of ESM affordances all have a positive effect on the effectiveness of knowledge sharing in project teams. (2) The psychological safety and psychological empowerment of team members have a significant positive influence on ESM affordances. (3) The project task complexity positively moderates the positive effects which the visibility and association have on the effectiveness of knowledge sharing, and negatively moderates the positive relationship between the editability and knowledge sharing.

Originality/value

Based on the social cognitive theory, this paper highlights the roles of psychological cognitive factors and project task context in the effect of ESM affordances having on knowledge sharing within project teams. Moreover, it provides valuable suggestions for project managers in project and knowledge management.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This research is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under grant no. 71302025. The authors would like to express heartfelt gratitude to Qian Wu, who is the staff from Alumni Office of Master of Engineering Management (MEM) of Beijing Jiaotong University. She has given the authors great help in collecting data for this research.

Citation

Ren, X. and Sun, X. (2024), "How do enterprise social media affordances affect knowledge sharing within project teams: the social cognitive theory view", Information Technology & People, Vol. 37 No. 6, pp. 2183-2202. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-12-2022-0990

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited

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