Research On The Influence Of Informal Network On Employees’ Knowledge Sharing Behavior

In the era of knowledge economy,the systematization of personal knowledge has gradually become the key for enterprises to obtain the core competitiveness.Knowledge sharing helps to transform personal knowledge into organizational knowledge,so as to promote the continuous innovation of enterprises.However,in practice,knowledge sharing has proved to be a major obstacle to effective knowledge management and become a difficult problem that afflicts enterprises.Enterprises spend a lot of manpower,material resources and financial resources to improve the knowledge sharing level of employees,but the effect is not ideal.Existing studies have shown that informal network can have a positive impact on employees’ knowledge sharing behavior.Informal networks provide a platform for communication and exchange among their members,with more opportunities for communication and exchange.They are familiar with and trust each other,and have a stronger initiative in sharing knowledge.Therefore,informal network is an important factor affecting employees’ knowledge sharing behavior.But up to now,empirical research on the impact mechanism of informal networks on employee knowledge sharing behavior in the academic community has been lacking.Therefore,it is necessary to conduct in-depth research on the relationship between informal network and employees’ knowledge sharing behavior,so as to further clarify the path and boundary conditions of the influence of informal network on employees’ knowledge sharing behavior.Based on the strong and weak relationship theory and the social exchange theory,this study proposes a theoretical model of "informal networks-interpersonal citizenship behaviors-knowledge sharing",and introduces collectivism tendency as a moderating variable into the theoretical model.Subsequently,with the employees of enterprises in Shaanxi,Shanxi and Henan provinces as the survey objects,the empirical analysis of 331 valid questionnaires collected by AMOS24.0 and SPSS25.0 statistical analysis software was carried out,and the following conclusions were drawn:(1)The interaction intensity,network density,communication quality and network trust of the four dimensions of informal network have significant positive effects on employees’ knowledge sharing behavior.From the perspective of influence path coefficient,network trust has the strongest positive effect on employees’ knowledge sharing behavior,while network density has the weakest positive effect on employees’ knowledge sharing behavior.(2)Interaction intensity,network density and network trust not only directly affect employee knowledge sharing behavior,but also indirectly affect employee knowledge sharing behavior through interpersonal citizenship behavior,that is,interpersonal citizenship behavior plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between interaction intensity,network density,network trust and employees’ knowledge sharing behavior respectively,while interpersonal citizenship behavior has no significant mediating role between communication quality and employees’ knowledge sharing behavior(3)Collectivism tendency plays a positive moderating role in the relationship between interaction intensity,network density,communication quality,network trust and employees’ knowledge sharing behavior respectively.Finally,according to the conclusion of the research,the author puts forward the management enlightenment of how to promote the knowledge sharing of employees,and points out the shortcomings of this study.