The Impact of Ethnic and Lingual Diversity on Short Term Knowledge Sharing
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2014
Keywords
ethnic diversity, ethnicity, knowledge management, KM, short term tasks, knowledge sharing, linguistic diversity, teams, work groups, teamwork, trust, communication, informal social interaction, group decision making, collaborative decision making
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1504/IJBE.2014.063770
Abstract
Based on social categorisation theory and the similarity attraction paradigm, we propose that a high degree of ethno/lingo diversity in knowledge-intensive work groups, especially short-term ones, can inhibit knowledge sharing among members. Barriers identified in the knowledge sharing literature include trust, communication, and informal social interaction. A semi-quantitative approach was applied, involving a group collaborative decision making task. The results of the research task show that knowledge sharing within groups as a whole suffers as ethnic and linguistic diversity increase for short term groups. The findings provide a starting point for theory development and suggest creating more homogeneous groups for short-term tasks.
Citation / Publisher Attribution
International Journal of Business Environment, v. 6, no. 3, p. 246-265
Scholar Commons Citation
Ziaei, Seyyedali; Walczak, Steven; and Md Nor, Khalil, "The Impact of Ethnic and Lingual Diversity on Short Term Knowledge Sharing" (2014). School of Information Faculty Publications. 171.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/si_facpub/171
