Knowledge Sharing Analytics: The Case of IT Workers

ABSTRACT

The current study proposes a new framework for knowledge sharing (KS) analytics among information technology (IT) workers, based on an electronic source of collaborative software used by IT developers. It attempts to formulate a new objective way to measure actual KS. The findings confirm previous reports of differences in KS motivation between internal and external IT workers. The metrics of electronic source footprints proposed in this study have confirmed that the KS level of external IT workers is significantly lower than that of internal IT workers. Several practical implications for better knowledge management (KM) are discussed, including the measuring of KS levels on an ongoing basis, and practices that should be considered when employing external IT workers, in order to motivate collaborative behaviors and team work in IT departments.

KEYWORDS:

• Collaboration software
• electronic footprints
• IT workers
• knowledge sharing
• outsourcing
• workforce analytics