Interpersonal trust and knowledge sharing: Moderating effects of individual altruism and a social interaction environment

• Wei-Li Wu

  National Chi Nan University

• Chien-Hsin Lin

  Yu Da College of Business

• Bi-Fen Hsu

  National Yunlin University of Science and Technology

• Ryh-Song Yeh

  Yuan Ze University

The relationship between interpersonal trust and knowledge sharing was explored, along with the impact of individual altruism and a social interaction environment. Participants were employees in Taiwanese high-tech industries. Employees’ perceived interpersonal trust, of either their colleagues or supervisor, was found to be positively correlated with their knowledge-sharing behaviors in the workplace. Employees’ altruism traits were found to be a factor for them to share knowledge in the workplace and the trait of altruism was also found to reduce the positive association between trust of colleagues and knowledge sharing. An organizational social interaction environment intensifies the positive association between trust of colleagues and knowledge sharing. Theoretical and managerial implications of the study are discussed.

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