It\´s Not "Just" Validation: The Effect of Organizational Justice on Contributions to a Knowledge Repository

The value of an electronic knowledge repository depends on the degree to which it offers high quality knowledge to its users. Consequently, firms that use such repositories often implement validation procedures to monitor and ensure the quality of submitted content. However, if perceived as unreasonable or unfair, validation can have the unintended effect of discouraging employee contributions. Drawing on literature in knowledge sharing and organizational justice, we develop hypotheses about how various dimensions of perceived justice of validation procedures influence employees´ perceptions of knowledge quality within the repository and their knowledge contributions to it. Analysis of survey data collected at a large North American technical support company reveals that both quality perceptions and contribution behaviors are positively influenced by perceived procedural justice of validation, but not by perceived informational or interpersonal justice. We conclude by discussing implications of these results for knowledge management research and practice.