Personal Attributes and Knowledge Sharing Behavior: Evidence From the Bangladeshi Service Sector

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between three personal attributes: personal relationship (PR), knowledge sharing attitude (KSA), and self‐ideology (SI)—and knowledge sharing behavior (KSB) among managers working in Bangladeshi service sector organizations, with perceived commitment to religious values (PCRVs, a single construct) and perceived trust (PT) acting as mediators, utilizing the framework of social capital theory. We employed a quantitative research design and collected primary data using a self‐administered questionnaire. We utilized IBM SPSS 29 for descriptive statistics and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS‐SEM) technique through SmartPLS version 4.1.0.3 for testing the measurement and structural models. First, all three independent constructs were found to have significant positive relationships with the dependent construct, KSB. Second, all three independent constructs were found to have significant positive relationships with both mediators: PCRVs and PT. Third, both PCRVs and PT were found to have significant positive relationships with the dependent construct, KSB. Furthermore, both mediators: PCRVs and PT were found to partially mediate all three direct relationships. This study contributes to the existing literature by providing empirical evidence on the roles of personal attributes in understanding knowledge sharing behavior among managers working in Bangladeshi service sector organizations. The findings highlight the importance of personal relationship, knowledge sharing attitude, and self‐ideology in fostering a positive environment for knowledge sharing behavior within service sector organizations in a country characterized by collectivism and religious embeddedness. Overall, this research enhances our understanding of the three individual or personal factors influencing knowledge sharing behavior, which can assist organizations in developing effective strategies to promote knowledge sharing cultures.