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http://dx.doi.org/10.14400/JDC.2022.20.2.141

Impact of tie strength on knowledge sharing: Focusing on the moderating effect of environmental uncertainty  

Jang, Hyunju (School of Business, Sungkyunkwan University)
Ryu, Sungmin (School of Business, Sunkyunkwan University)
Publication Information
Journal of Digital Convergence / v.20, no.2, 2022 , pp. 141-154 More about this Journal
Abstract
This study aims to investigate how tie strength in business networks affects successful knowledge sharing, as well as the impact of environmental uncertainty on the relationship between knowledge sharing and tie strength. We gathered data through a questionnaire-based survey of 310 employees affiliated with a high-technology industry in Korea. The results highlighted the positive influence of strong ties on tacit knowledge sharing and weak ties on explicit knowledge sharing. Additionally, in this study, we determine that strong ties are strengthened to share tacit knowledge with exchange parties when environmental uncertainty is high, whereas weak ties may remain unaffected by environmental uncertainty. This study contributes to the literature on tie strength and knowledge sharing by applying social capital theory to a high-technology industry. The findings suggest that firms must take advantage of strong and weak ties to facilitate knowledge sharing to enhance competency, create novel knowledge, and obtain a competitive advantage.
Keywords
strong ties; weak ties; tacit knowledge; explicit knowledge; environmental uncertainty;
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