Negative Outcome Expectation as a Barrier for Knowledge Sharing: Conceptualisation and Measurement Development

Knowledge sharing has become the critical success factor for effective knowledge management since it bridges the gap between knowledge creation and utilisation. So far, socio-psychological factors have yet to attract the attention of scholars despite numerous barriers impeding the flow of knowledge. The current study is, therefore, designed to develop a self-reporting measurement instrument that uncovers hidden sharing barriers triggered by negative outcome expectations. To test the psychometric properties of the newly designed instrument, a stepwise procedure was applied. The findings indicate that the instrument aimed at developing is a multidimensional construct consisting of 13 items and four dimensions (assumption of being ignored, assumption of not meeting expectations, assumption of being non-sense and assumption of conflict avoidance). The results of this study provide preliminary evidence for the reliability and validity of the 13-item negative outcome expectation scales as a measure of hidden assumptions towards knowledge sharing.