The Effects of Rewards on the Motivation of Experts to Transfer their Knowledge

Abstract

Theorists have taken a keen interest in the factors that boost or diminish employees ’ motivation to share knowledge. Of a crucial concern is: what are the effects of rewards on knowledge transfer? Why do rewards sometimes undermine and sometimes enhance employees ’ disposition to share their knowledge? The present paper suggests that the passion for knowledge is a predictor of an intrinsically-driven behavior, which is, in its turn, a predictor of a knowledge-sharing behavior. When extrinsic rewards boost self-regulation, a feeling of competence and self-relatedness, they may enhance knowledge sharing because they provide a fostering-ground for curiosity and passion. Keywords: