{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]],"date-time":"2026-06-02T14:37:38Z","timestamp":1780411058636,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":65,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2018,2,21]],"date-time":"2018-02-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1519171200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JKM"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2018,3,27]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Purpose<\/jats:title><jats:p>The purpose of this study is to identify and explain the role of individuals\u2019 awareness and motivation in facilitating knowledge sharing (KS) in the real world of practice, as well as to establish areas of convergence between theory and practice that can be of use to both academics and practitioners involved in knowledge intensive organisations.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title><jats:p>This study used Grounded Theory (GT) as an inductive methodology to collect, analyse and interpret data from multiple case-studies. 44 participants from Chinese software organisations were selected on the basis of their role in SW design and development and were interviewed using a semi-structured interview script. The data analysis followed a Straussian approach to coding, which consists of open coding, axial coding and selective coding. The analysis focused on the impact of individuals\u2019 awareness and motivation to share knowledge.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Findings<\/jats:title><jats:p>The findings of this research show that the motivation for KS \u2013 a time consuming and demanding activity \u2013 is indeed related to awareness by managers and developers of the benefits of KS in their professional practice. Practitioners shared their experiences and tacit knowledge with others, partly because it was required by their companies, but also because they have a sound awareness of the need to share knowledge both inside and outside their organisations.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Research limitations\/implications<\/jats:title><jats:p>As a typical social science inductive study, this research is bounded by the context in which the theory proposed emerged from. Further research should be conducted into a richer variety of organisational and national contexts, as suggested by good theoretical sampling practice, which could provide further insights or contrasts.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title><jats:p>Despite a number of theoretical propositions found in the literature, there is a clear lack of implementation strategies and models that explain the role of awareness and motivation in facilitating KS in the world of practice. This issue of applicability of theoretical propositions is now recognised as one of the fundamental key issues in KS. This study provides new and practice grounded insights in this area and is of interest to both practitioners and theoreticians as it explains and bridges the individuals\u2019 awareness and motivation for tacit KS.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/jkm-03-2017-0101","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2018,2,21]],"date-time":"2018-02-21T06:01:08Z","timestamp":1519192868000},"page":"478-498","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":82,"title":["Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation for experience grounded tacit knowledge sharing in Chinese software organisations"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"22","author":[{"given":"Hui","family":"Chen","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Miguel","family":"Baptista Nunes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gillian","family":"Ragsdell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiaomi","family":"An","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"140","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,2,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"key2021041509194309400_ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"67","DOI":"10.1007\/978-0-387-49009-0_6","article-title":"Healthcare knowledge sharing: purpose, practices, and prospects","volume-title":"Healthcare Knowledge Management","year":"2007"},{"key":"key2021041509194309400_ref002","volume-title":"Knowledge Management: Cultivating Knowledge Professionals","year":"2003"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2021041509194309400_ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"71","DOI":"10.1108\/13673271111108701","article-title":"An innovation perspective of knowledge management in a multinational subsidiary","volume":"15","year":"2011","journal-title":"Journal of Knowledge Management"},{"issue":"6","key":"key2021041509194309400_ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"811","DOI":"10.1111\/1467-6486.00260","article-title":"Tacit knowledge: some suggestions for operationalization","volume":"38","year":"2001","journal-title":"Journal of Management Studies"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2021041509194309400_ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"94","DOI":"10.1108\/13673270610650139","article-title":"Cultural influences on knowledge sharing through online communities of practice","volume":"10","year":"2006","journal-title":"Journal of Knowledge Management"},{"key":"key2021041509194309400_ref006","volume-title":"Knowledge Management","year":"2004"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2021041509194309400_ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"13","DOI":"10.2307\/3069282","article-title":"Tacit knowledge as a source of competitive advantage in the National Basketball Association","volume":"45","year":"2002","journal-title":"Academy of Management Journal"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2021041509194309400_ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"31","DOI":"10.1108\/13673270210417673","article-title":"Management strategies for individual knowledge and organizational knowledge","volume":"6","year":"2002","journal-title":"Journal of Knowledge Management"},{"key":"key2021041509194309400_ref009","volume-title":"Grounded Theory: a Practical Guide","year":"2011"},{"issue":"3","key":"key2021041509194309400_ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"90","DOI":"10.2307\/41165945","article-title":"Organizing knowledge","volume":"40","year":"1998","journal-title":"California Management Review"},{"issue":"5","key":"key2021041509194309400_ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"687","DOI":"10.1177\/0170840602235001","article-title":"Knowledge-sharing dilemmas","volume":"23","year":"2002","journal-title":"Organization Studies"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2021041509194309400_ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6","DOI":"10.1108\/08858620310458615","article-title":"Tacit knowledge transfer and firm innovation capability","volume":"18","year":"2003","journal-title":"Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing"},{"key":"key2021041509194309400_ref013","unstructured":"Chen, H. 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