Predicting Attitudes Toward Knowledge Sharing by E-Mail: An Empirical Study

Social influence factors in sharing knowledge by e-mail are important issues in developing and understanding successful knowledge management systems and human-computer interaction. This article investigates important factors in shaping attitudes toward knowledge sharing by e-mail, based on social influence theory and self-determination theory. An empirical test of the proposed model using an online survey was conducted with a sample of undergraduate college students who use group e-mails for class assignments (n = 566). All social influence factors significantly influenced attitudes toward knowledge sharing by e-mail (R-2 = .57). Information systems researchers and practitioners will be able to more fully understand the roles of social influence factors in developing and designing knowledge management.