Impact of knowledge incentive mechanisms on individual knowledge creation behavior - An empirical study for Taiwanese R&D professionals

Highlights? This study develops an integrated model for individual knowledge creation behavior. ? This study examines models for R&D professionals in Taiwanese high-tech companies. ? The more aware individuals are of property rights sharing arrangement within their organization, the higher their sense of psychological ownership will be. ? The higher a knowledge user's sense of psychological ownership of knowledge, the more likely he is to engage in individual creation behavior. Knowledge incentive mechanisms are a new development in the management of knowledge. The most prevalent perspective presented in the available literature is that the knowledge incentive mechanisms must have the ability to manage the flow of business knowledge. This study explores the relationship among knowledge incentive mechanisms, knowledge psychological ownership, and individual knowledge creation behavior. This study uses structural equation modeling to test a sample of R&D professionals from high-tech companies in Taiwan. Data analysis suggests that knowledge incentive mechanisms promote the psychological ownership by the knowledge owner so that he or she actively carries out knowledge innovation. This implies that knowledge incentive mechanisms stress private proprietary characteristics employees who possess real ownership when they innovate will deem such innovation as an extension of self, giving rise to a protective or defensive mindset, which then has an impact on individual knowledge creation behaviors because of the psychological ownership of knowledge.

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