A Study On The Effect And Mechanism Of Team-based Performance Appraisal On Knowledge Sharing

Team, as an increasingly prevalent work structure in modern organizations, becomes an important component in the process of knowledge management. Knowledge sharing within teams is pivotal in creating organizational competitive advantage. However, knowledge sharing within teams might not be realized spontaneously because of its inherent obstacles, which makes it necessary to explore effective team management to promote knowledge sharing. Performance appraisal, as a means of motivating individual initiative, may play an important role in developing employees' willingness to share knowledge. Unfortunately, in the theoretical research and management practice, the disputes and puzzles whether team performance or individual performance should be stressed have been existed all the while. Therefore, by seeking greater insight into the effect and mechanism of team-based performance appraisal on knowledge sharing, we attempted to explore the effective performance appraisal method which may promote knowledge sharing in order to solve the troublesome problem.This dissertation addressed the above problem through studying the following three aspects: (1) the effect of team-based performance appraisal on knowledge sharing. That is to say, whether may team-based performance appraisal positively influence knowledge sharing? And how much is its influence? (2) the mediating mechanism of team-based performance appraisal on knowledge sharing. In other words, which variables do take the mediating roles in the relationship between team-based performance appraisal and knowledge sharing? (3) the moderating mechanism of team-based performance appraisal on knowledge sharing. That is, which variables do influence the relationship between team-based performance appraisal and knowledge sharing? And how do they influence the relationship? Then, the relevant research hypotheses were proposed based on the theoretical analysis. Moreover, relevant field study was conducted to test these hypotheses. Finally, the conclusions were made as follows:(1) Team-based performance appraisal has positive effect on knowledge sharing, but its effect is not powerful. As the result implies, it is very necessary to uncover the "black box" in the process of the influence of team-based performance appraisal on knowledge sharing by exploring the influencing mechanism of team-based performance appraisal on knowledge sharing, which can provide the specific theoretic guidelines on the more effective implementation of team-based performance appraisal. (2) Distributive justice perception, interpersonal trust and team commitment take a full mediating role all together in the relationship between team-based performance appraisal and knowledge sharing. In other words, team-based performance appraisal may push team members' distributive justice perception, interpersonal trust and team commitment. Then, three mediating mechanisms based on utilitarian, reciprocity and team identification will be formed, which may activate team members' personal motivation. Finally, the full decision-making of knowledge sharing with other members may be realized. However, in the three mediating mechanism, the driving power of team-based performance appraisal is not strong in pushing team members' distributive justice perception, interpersonal trust and team commitment, which leads to the weak positive effect of team-based performance appraisal on knowledge sharing. Accordingly, it is valuable and meaningful in theory research and management practice to explore the moderating mechanism in the process of the influence of team-based performance appraisal on knowledge sharing.(3) As a whole, characteristic team factors including team task interdependence, team members' ability gap and team efficacy moderate the relationship between team-based performance appraisal and the mediators (i.e. distributive justice perception, interpersonal trust and team commitment). Specifically, both of task interdependence and team efficacy positively take the moderating role in the relationship between team-based performance appraisal and all of the three mediators. Though the moderating role of team members' ability gap between team-based performance appraisal and team commitment isn't supported, it negatively moderates the relationship between team-based performance appraisal and the other two mediators (i.e. distributive justice perception and interpersonal trust). Additionally, procedural justice perception and interactive justice perception positively moderate the relationship between distributive justice perception and knowledge sharing.Finally, the main conclusions were summarized and discussed, and the research limitation and future directions were also put forward.