A Team-Level Study of the Relationship between Knowledge Sharing and Trust in Kenya: Moderating Role of Collaborative Technology

Abstract

Research on team dynamics is gaining popularity because teams are yielding positive organizational outcomes. Advanced technologies are often used to enhance team outcomes for improved productivity and to create effective knowledge-sharing contexts in teams, particularly in contexts where trust among team members is vital. This study analyzed the influence of knowledge sharing on trust at the team level in Kenya. The objective was to determinepractical implications to assist organizations with their efforts to optimize the association between knowledge sharing and team-level trust and to consider the moderating role of collaborative technology on this relationship. Data were collected from 300 professional employees at three organizations in Kenya, aggregated into 75 teams, and analyzed in a hierarchical multiple linear regression. The team-level analysis found that knowledge sharing was significantly and positively related to the extent of team trust, and the relationship was moderated by the perception of collaborative technology. Organizations should consider their teams’ knowledge sharing and trust to support team dynamics and achieve organizational and team goals. Employees’ perceptions that technologies support team processes influence the effectiveness of knowledge sharing as a way to build team trust.