Communication tools as drivers of employees' knowledge sharing: Evidence from the Czech Republic

Abstract

For many organizations, knowledge sharing is essential to keep their competitive ability. As characteristics of available communication media might influence knowledge flows in the organization, this study examines if the frequency of some communication media usage and their perceived usefulness relate to the extent of knowledge sharing. The study applied a quantitative research design and used opinion-based questionnaires. In total, 178 participants from the Czech Republic were involved, mainly from manufacturing industry. Significant positive correlations between “how often employees use the defined instruments for gathering and communicating information in work” and “how useful employees find the defined instruments for gathering and communicating information in work” to “the extent of knowledge sharing in the organization” were identified. Additionally, the frequency of the use of communication media predicted the extent of knowledge sharing in the organization. Specifically, the frequency of the use of meetings significantly predicted the extent of knowledge sharing (β =.54, p