Knowledge sharing attitude and behaviour in Saudi Arabian organisations: Why trust matters

The paper explores the factors that affect employees' attitude and behaviour towards knowledge sharing in Saudi Arabian organisations. A mixed methods approach was used to gather data through a survey and semi-structured interviews. Trust was found to have a negative relationship with knowledge sharing attitude while collaborative climate, management support, openness, and rewards were found to affect knowledge sharing attitude. Although the study found a relationship between knowledge sharing attitude and behaviour, collaborative climate is the only factor that influenced knowledge sharing behaviour as mediated by knowledge sharing attitude. Qualitative findings offer further insight into the role of trust as a catalyst in facilitating knowledge sharing. They also shed light on the internal and external factors that influence knowledge sharing attitude and behaviour. The study contributes to the knowledge sharing literature by illuminating the interrelations of context, attitude, and behaviour, offering implications for human resource management.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1504/IJHRDM.2014.068082