The Study, Based On The Specification Of The Knowledge Sharing Process And Commitment To Creativity

Development Innovation places an important role in information technology (IT) companies, where new technologies emergence quickly. By developing new technologies constantly, IT companies achieve competitive advantage and move forward with sustained creativity. Innovation of an IT company is enabled by the creativity of its research and development (R&D) staff. In this era of knowledge economy, knowledge sharing among individuals with dispersed knowledge resources is widely regarded as the source of creativity. As a result, how to expand the scope of knowledge and enhance individual's creativity for R&D staff by knowledge-sharing is a problem of interest within IT companies.Based on knowledge sharing process, this thesis investigates the mechanisms of two variables (R&D staff's commitment, and the knowledge sharing norm) affecting individual's creativity within the R & D division of an IT company. First of all, literature on organizational commitment, knowledge sharing norm, and knowledge sharing and individual creativity was reviewed. On the basis of previous theoretical and empirical study, this thesis then developed a creativity impact model by taking the two processes of knowledge sharing as intermediary variables, and studied the specific impact of organizational commitment and knowledge sharing norm on individual creativity. Last but not the least, a questionnaire was conducted on IT R & D staff, and the research hypotheses in this thesis were tested with the accessed data after a thorough analysis. Below are the conclusions:(1)R & D staffs commitment to the division has impact on individual's knowledge sharing behavior, and different dimensions of organizational commitment affect individual's knowledge sharing behavior in different ways. Affective commitment has positive influences on both of the two knowledge sharing processes-knowledge contribution and knowledge collection, while continuance commitment's influences on both of the two processes are negative.(2)Knowledge sharing norm within the division has a certain impact on knowledge sharing behavior. Significant positive correlation between knowledge sharing norm and knowledge sharing is shown in our research, that's to say, the stronger is R&D staff's perception to knowledge sharing norm within the division, the more are they inclined to contributing their knowledge to others or collecting knowledge from peers.(3)Knowledge sharing among R&D staff is able to enhance individual's creativity. No matter it is knowledge contribution or knowledge collection, the role is positive.(4)Knowledge sharing leverages the impact of staff's commitment and knowledge sharing norm on individual's creativity. R&D staffs affective commitment and continuance commitment influence individual's creativity by the two knowledge sharing processes (knowledge contribution and knowledge collection), and knowledge sharing norm within the division also enhances the individual creativity through the same processes.