Why do employees (not) share innovative knowledge, and how does this sharing influence career interest?

This study explored the factors that influence employee sharing of innovative knowledge, as well as how this sharing affects career interest. To explore these areas, this study focused on the setting of primary schools, where teachers need to constantly innovate and share knowledge to achieve work and career goals. This study adopted a qualitative research design and collected data through semi-structured interviews from school teachers working in the Chinese public primary education system. The results identified a series of personal and contextual characteristics that motivate or demotivate employees to share innovative knowledge. The findings also suggested three pathways or mechanisms that explain the influence of innovative knowledge sharing on career interest: gaining psychological capital, gaining social resources, and losing social resources. These findings offer valuable practical insights that can guide managers to encourage innovative knowledge sharing, as well as to leverage this sharing behaviour to help employees strengthen career or professional interest.