ROLE OF HR PRACTICES AND KM TOOLS IN TRANSFER OF TACIT KNOWLEDGE OF INTERNAL CUSTOMERS: EVIDENCE FROM IT COMPANIES IN INDIA

Abstract

Knowledge sharing has gained lot of importance in recent years in the IT sector. However, though there is a lot of research on knowledge management, tacit knowledge sharing has rarely been studied in the IT industry literature. The purpose of this thesis is to analyse that whether the demographic characteristics of employees influence Tacit Knowledge Sharing behaviour (TKSb) and secondly what Human Resource (HR) practices and Knowledge Management (KM) tools IT companies should implement to motivate the employees to share their tacit knowledge with other employees. The HR practices taken for the study are: Training (On-the job and Off-the Job), Hofstede’s dimensions (Individualism and Collectivism; Low and High Power Distance; Masculinity and Feminity; Less and More Uncertainty Avoidance) and Reward management (Monetary and Non-Monetary rewards). KM tools are categorised as Technology based KM tools and Non-Technology based KM tools. Highly prevalent On-the job training methods, Off-the Job training methods, Monetary rewards, Non-Monetary rewards, Technology based KM tools and Non Technology based KM tools (six for each) have been identified through Delphi (experts from IT companies in India). For the study, TKSb has been divided into three forms: Organisation related Knowledge Sharing behaviour (OKSb), Project/Task related Knowledge Sharing behaviour (PKSb) and Skills related Knowledge Sharing behaviour (SKSb). The sample selected for data collection includes the employees of top 20 IT companies as per NASSCOM 2011-12. The employees of the most prominent five departments of IT organisations, i.e. HR, Sales & Marketing, Finance, IT and Operations are interviewed for the study. The convenience sampling method Executive Summary 2 has been used in the research study. Data for this study has been collected by means of questionnaire and has been evaluated using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with HR practices and KM tools as Independent variables and forms of TKSb, i.e. OKSb, PKSb and SKSb as Dependent variables. Data analysis revealed evidence that there exists a relationship between the independent and the dependent variables; either positive or negative. The research has also identified the key Training methods, Hofstede’s dimensions, Rewards and KM tools that IT companies should focus on, to enhance Tacit Knowledge Sharing behaviour of their employees. Furthermore, this study add to the literature by explaining the role of HR practices and KM tools as motivator or de-motivator for enhancing Tacit Knowledge Sharing behaviour of employees of IT companies in India.