Perceived Value of Knowledge: Shall I Give You My Gem, My Coal?

Achieving value from knowledge has been illusive to the organization despite recent attempts to capitalize on it. An individual´s willingness to share his or her knowledge is an essential factor in the organization benefiting from the knowledge it collectively possesses. Yet little is understood regarding what knowledge people are willing to share. This paper describes two studies in which a new construct, Perceived Value of Knowledge (PVK), is developed along with its dimensions, and its relationship with intentions to share knowledge is illustrated (both qualitatively and quantitatively). The qualitative study illustrates that it may influence the enablers and the barriers to knowledge sharing. The quantitative study found that the relationship between PVK and intentions to share varies with different targets (i.e., close colleagues, distant colleagues, and to others via broadcast media).