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Abstract
Electronic networks of practice are computermediated discussion forums focused on problems of practice that enable individuals to exchange advice and ideas with others based on common interests. However, why individuals help strangers in these electronic networks is not well understood: there is no immediate benefit to the contributor, and free-riders are able to acquire the same knowledge as everyone else. To understand this paradox, we apply theories of collective action to examine how individual motivations and social capital influence knowledge contribution in electronic networks. This study reports on the activities of one electronic network supporting a professional legal association. Using archival, network, survey, and content analysis data, we empirically test a model of knowledge contribution. We find that people contribute their knowledge when they perceive that it enhances their professional reputations, when they have the experience to share, and when they are structurally embedded in the network. Surprisingly, contributions occur without regard to expectations of reciprocity from others or high levels of commitment to the network.
Keywords: Electronic networks of practice, knowledge management, online communities, social capital
Introduction
Knowledge has long been recognized as a valuable resource for organizational growth and sustained competitive advantage, especially for organizations competing in uncertain environments (Miller and Shamsie 1996). Recently, some researchers have argued that knowledge is an organization's most valuable resource because it represents intangible assets, operational routines, and creative processes that are hard to imitate (Grant 1996; Liebeskind 1996). However, most organizations do not possess all required knowledge within their formal boundaries and must rely on linkages to outside organizations and individuals to acquire knowledge (Anand et al. 2002). In dynamic fields, organizational innovation derives from knowledge exchange and learning from network connections that cross organizational boundaries (Nooteboom 2000). Organizational members benefit from external network connections because they gain access to new information, expertise, and ideas not available locally, and can interact informally, free from the constraints of hierarchy and local rules. Even though the employing organizations may be direct competitors, informal and reciprocal knowledge exchanges between individuals are valued and sustained over time because the sharing of knowledge is an important aspect of being a member of a technological community (Bouty 2000).
One way to create linkages to external knowledge resources is through electronic...