Knowledge-sharing behaviour in public service organisations: determinants and the roles of affective commitment and normative commitment

Purpose Compared with the extensive research on knowledge management in the Western context, relatively little research has emerged in Asia. This study aims to report an investigation of the predictors of knowledge-sharing behaviour (KSB) of Malaysian public service administrators. Design/methodology/approach Surveys were designed based on established instruments and yielded 231 responses from administrators of various managerial grades. Findings The findings indicated that KSB was predicted by intrinsic motivational factors, time availability and organisational socialisation. Further, the findings showed that affective commitment towards the organisations is the key intermediate factor to enable intrinsically motivated administrators to engage in KSB. Research limitations/implications This study examined motivational factors among the public sector administrators only. Thus, it limits the findings generalisation to other groups of employees such as from the private sector and non-governmental organisations. Practical implications The findings of this study shall enlighten organisations particularly the public sector organisations, in strategies and plan of action towards enhancing and advancing knowledge management practice among employees. Originality/value This paper offers new insight into the significance of intrinsic motivational factors which enhanced with employees’ commitment to fostering KSB in organisations.