Exploring Knowledge Sharing in Virtual Teams: A Social Exchange Theory Perspective

In the Knowledge Economics Age, knowledge is seen as a critical resource. To enhance the knowledge value, businesses have to promote knowledge sharing as the path to gaining competitive advantages. Further, with the rapid progress in network technology, new business models have emerged to adapt to the changing environment; the virtual team, a kind of new business style, has become prevalent for many businesses in emerging information technologies. In this study, we study how the virtual team members effectively share their knowledge through the network technology. Based on the Social Exchange Theory and a model of shared knowledge, we explore the critical factors and causal relationships among knowledge sharing on virtual team. The findings show that the total eight hypotheses have been confirmed and are valid. Thus, these findings could be good references for both academics and in practice. Based upon the research findings, implications and limitations are discussed.