Effects of National Culture on Types of Knowledge Sharing in Virtual Communities

Abstract

Organizations are using virtual communities to facilitate knowledge management and to enhance communication among employees, customers, and other interested individuals. Individual users can use virtual communities to engage in knowledge sharing. Professional communicators need to understand and adapt to a globalized and “flat” world, where people across different cultures interact freely and easily with one another in virtual communities. An intriguing question regarding virtual communities relates to whether national culture affects communication and types of knowledge sharing. This study examines the influence of US and Chinese national cultures on types of knowledge-sharing activities in virtual communities. The findings indicate that national culture differences between China and the US are also evident in virtual community environments.