Cognitive trust as a precursor of knowledge sharing in technology teams

Introduction/Objective: Literature studying the relationship between trust and knowledge sharing emphasizes two sub-dimensions (affective and cognitive trust) and their influence on such exchange. This research aims to determine the relationship between affective or cognitive Trust in Knowledge Sharing within a technology team at a family compensation fund in the context of Medellin, Colombia. Methodology: The study adopts a quantitative approach, using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique for analyzing 83 surveys. Instruments for measuring trust and knowledge sharing were investigated, and 25 articles were selected, 14 for measuring trust and 11 for measuring knowledge sharing. Three of them were selected for measurement purposes. Results: The study shows that affective trust does not have a significant effect on knowledge sharing in the studied technology team, but cognitive trust does. This highlights the importance of understanding the cognitive qualities of work relationships to manage knowledge effectively in a Colombian IT team context. Conclusions: This indicates that team members prefer to share knowledge with those who demonstrate relevant knowledge to them. With this understanding, actions can be implemented that are more tailored to the characteristics of technical teams to promote sharing of their members' knowledge and improve organizational results.