Influences of Cultural Dimensions on Knowledge-Sharing Behaviours: Insights for Higher Educational Institutions in the Philippines

Abstract

The educational institution’s knowledge comprises a mix of experiences, values, and professional insights of its teachers with diverse cultures, enabling a combination of knowledge to create new knowledge. The exchange of knowledge among teachers provides effective learning, which can become a model of knowledge-sharing that promotes knowledge creation, dissemination, and effective application. However, knowledge does not always flow easily and straightforwardly across educational domains. Nevertheless, the success of knowledge-sharing is affected by one’s behaviour to share. Apparently, a person’s behaviour is shaped by the environmental influences where he grew up with or stayed for a significant amount of time. This research administered an online survey of teacher participants across regions to capture the theoretical or conceptual model of the influences of cultural dimensions (exogenous) on knowledge-sharing intentions (endogenous) and the probability of the intentions transformed into actual knowledge-sharing behaviour (endogenous). Path analysis was employed to analyse the proposed models that exhibit causal mediation processes of relationships between cultural dimensions and knowledge-sharing intention which is also a predictor of knowledge-sharing behaviour. Findings insinuate that all cultural variables were parallel, however, this did not mean that each had the same degree of effects on knowledge-sharing intention. The results vary when the direct effect of each cultural factor was tested. Cultural orientation and beliefs are factors that affect the value of the knowledge being shared and academic institutions wield efforts in motivating their teachers to effectively participate. For knowledge-sharing to be implemented successfully, the academic institution must take into consideration the cultures and beliefs of people in the community. Further research can analyse a wider range of people in a work environment with diverse culture which can elicit more insights into the cultural attitudes in the work environment.