The impact of trust and reputation on the transfer of best practices

Purpose – This research study, which is based on social information‐processing theory, proposes examining factors that affect intra‐organizational efforts at promoting the successful transfer of best practices.Design/methodology/approach – Using data collected from multiple respondents in a Fortune 500 company whose primary line of business is electricity generation, the author examines three impediments to knowledge transfer: trust, provider reputation, and recipient reputation.Findings – The findings indicate that these factors provide a signaling effect to employees and play a critical role in the transfer of best practices. These findings reinforce the notion that the successful transfer of best practices is highly dependent on the willingness of employees to share. More important, achieving knowledge transfer objectives is easier said than done. Trust and reputation develop over time, are closely guarded by its representatives, and must be nurtured and protected.Research limitations/implications – On...

[1]  S. Shapiro.  The Social Control of Impersonal Trust , 1987, American Journal of Sociology.

[2]  Joel Podolny.  A Status-Based Model of Market Competition , 1993, American Journal of Sociology.

[3]  S. Ghoshal,et al.  Social Capital and Value Creation: The Role of Intrafirm Networks , 1998 .

[4]  M. Martiny.  Knowledge management at HP consulting , 1998 .

[5]  E. B. Andersen,et al.  Modern factor analysis , 1961 .

[6]  R. Turner.  Sponsored and Contest Mobility and the School System , 1960 .

[7]  Steven C. Currall,et al.  Measuring trust between organizational boundary role persons. , 1995 .

[8]  Morten T. Hansen,et al.  What's your strategy for managing knowledge? , 1999, Harvard business review.

[9]  Robert B. Wilson,et al.  Game-theoretic models of bargaining: Reputations in games and markets , 1985 .

[10]  Daniel Z. Levin,et al.  The Strength of Weak Ties You Can Trust: The Mediating Role of Trust in Effective Knowledge Transfer , 2004, Manag. Sci..

[11]  J. D. Eveland,et al.  Research on the Management of Innovation , 1991 .

[12]  J. S. Long,et al.  Cumulative Advantage and Inequality in Science , 1982 .

[13]  A. Zaheer,et al.  Does Trust Matter? Exploring the Effectsof Interorganizational and Interpersonaltrust on Performance , 1998 .

[14]  J. Barney,et al.  Trustworthiness as a Source of Competitive Advantage , 1994 .

[15]  Kenneth Husted,et al.  Knowledge-Sharing Hostility in Russian Firms , 2003 .

[16]  Maria L. Kraimer,et al.  A Social Capital Theory of Career Success , 2001 .

[17]  Franklin Allen,et al.  Reputation and Product Quality , 1984 .

[18]  Roderick M. Kramer,et al.  Swift trust and temporary groups. , 1996 .

[19]  Hsiu-Fen Lin,et al.  Impact of organizational support on organizational intention to facilitate knowledge sharing , 2006 .

[20]  Olaf G. Rughase.  What is Organizational Identity , 2006 .

[21]  S. Asch,et al.  The psychology of ego-involvements: Social attitudes and identifications. , 1948 .

[22]  L. Argote.  Organizational Learning: Creating, Retaining and Transferring Knowledge , 1999 .

[23]  Sheng Gao,et al.  Knowledge sharing community in P2P network: a study of motivational perspective , 2004, J. Knowl. Manag..

[24]  D. Cable,et al.  Tournaments Versus Sponsored Mobility as Determinants of Job Search Success , 1999 .

[25]  H. Harman.  Modern factor analysis , 1961 .

[26]  B. Kogut,et al.  Exploring internal stickiness : Impediments to the transfer of best practice within the firm , 2007 .

[27]  R. Lewicki,et al.  Developing and Maintaining Trust in Work Relationships , 1996 .

[28]  H. Simon,et al.  Rationality as Process and as Product of Thought , 1978 .

[29]  L. Argote,et al.  KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER: A BASIS FOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN FIRMS , 2000 .

[30]  William H. Glick,et al.  Common Methods Bias: Does Common Methods Variance Really Bias Results? , 1998 .

[31]  Swee C. Goh,et al.  Managing effective knowledge transfer: an integrative framework and some practice implications , 2002, J. Knowl. Manag..

[32]  Aneil K. Mishra,et al.  Toward a theory of organizational culture and effectiveness. , 1995 .

[33]  M. Sherif,et al.  The problem and a general characterization of ego-involvements. , 1947 .

[34]  C. C. Weizsäcker.  Barriers to Entry: A Theoretical Treatment , 1980 .

[35]  C. Fombrun,et al.  What's in a Name? Reputation Building and Corporate Strategy , 1990 .

[36]  Carla O'Dell,et al.  If Only We Knew What We Know: Identification and Transfer of Internal Best Practices , 1998 .

[37]  J. H. Davis,et al.  An Integrative Model Of Organizational Trust , 1995 .

[38]  R. MacCallum,et al.  THE APPLICATION OF EXPLORATORY FACTOR ANALYSIS IN APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY: A CRITICAL REVIEW AND ANALYSIS , 1986 .

[39]  Bart van den Hooff,et al.  Knowledge sharing in context: the influence of organizational commitment, communication climate and CMC use on knowledge sharing , 2004, J. Knowl. Manag..

[40]  Gabriel Szulanski,et al.  “Trust and Knowledge Transfer: When Trustworthy Sources Share Complex Knowledge" , 2001 .

[41]  O. Shenkar,et al.  Reputation, Image, Prestige, and Goodwill: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Organizational Standing , 1997 .

[42]  H. Rao.  The Social Construction of Reputation: Certification Contests, Legitimation, and the Survival of Organizations in the American Automobile Industry: 1895–1912 , 1994 .

[43]  Nick Bontis,et al.  Organizational size and knowledge flow: a proposed theoretical link , 2007 .

[44]  J. Hair.  Multivariate data analysis , 1972 .

[45]  J. Levine,et al.  Knowledge Transfer in Organizations: Learning from the Experience of Others☆ , 2000 .

[46]  M. Schulz.  THE UNCERTAIN RELEVANCE OF NEWNESS: ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING AND KNOWLEDGE FLOWS , 2001 .