Factors Influencing the Intention to Share Tacit Knowledge Among Thai Engineers

Abstract

Knowledge sharing is vital in the engineering industry due to its technical complexity, high-stakes nature, and rapid technological advancements. This study aims to identify key factors influencing tacit knowledge sharing intentions among Thai engineers. The factors examined include intrinsic motivational factors (altruism and self-efficacy), extrinsic motivational factors (peer recognition and extrinsic global incentives), and organizational factors (company norms, leadership, and social capital – a construct comprising social ties, social trust, and shared goals). A quantitative approach was adopted, with survey responses from 143 professional Thai engineers. The study finds that key factors influencing the intention to share knowledge among Thai engineers, in descending order of influence, are: altruism, social capital, company norms, peer recognition and leadership. Self-efficacy and extrinsic global incentives exhibit weak positive correlations, suggesting a limited influence. Thai engineering organizations are recommended to address these key factors to enhance and maximize tacit knowledge sharing intentions among their members.