Culture effects on the knowledge sharing in multi-national virtual classes: A mixed method

In multi-national and cross-cultural virtual classes, students' cultural values have significant impacts on knowledge sharing process. According to Hofstede's cultural dimensions, we conducted a mixed method to investigate how national cultural values effect on explicit and implicit knowledge sharing within a multi-national virtual class. First, we adopted a qualitative case study with 6 semi-structure interviews to explore the culture effects on knowledge sharing. Second, we conducted a cross-sectional survey to examine the interaction effects of culture and different knowledge sharing motivations. These findings suggest some cultural values (i.e., collectivism) directly impact knowledge sharing, while most cultural values (i.e., power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and Confucian dynamism) have interactive effects with knowledge sharing motivations. Furthermore, we also found some cultural values, like concern for face, have complex effects on knowledge sharing. This research contributes to the knowledge sharing literature, and provides practical implications for the organization work of computer-based education systems. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.