Social Identification Mediated Interdependence Designs for Team Knowledge Sharing

As the team-based structure is prevalent in modern organizations, it is promising to address the key problem of how to promote individuals to engage in knowledge sharing. Drawing upon the interdependence theory and social identity/self-categorization theory, this study develops a research model to elaborate how interdependence designs, including task and goal interdependence, elevate individuals’ knowledge sharing behavior in a team by activating their social identification to the team. To test the conceptual model, a survey method was employed, involving 421 valid individual observations nested in 56 organizational teams. The empirical testing supports the important mediating role of team members’ social identification processes linking the interdependence designs to knowledge sharing. The goal interdependence is found more effective than task interdependence to evoke individuals’ social identification to the teams. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed in this paper.