Purpose

This paper aims to determine whether prosocial motivation acts as a mediator between the individual motivation types of self-determination theory and knowledge sharing.

Design/methodology/approach

A partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) based on data collection (N = 303) ) was calculated, using “Smart PLS 3” software.

Findings

In respect of the influence of individual motivation types on knowledge sharing, it was found that prosocial motivation provides indirect mediation for external motivation and complementary mediation for introjected motivation, whereas it has no mediation effect on intrinsic and identified motivation.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should consider the use of prosocial motivation as a mediator to reveal indirect effects that, otherwise, are at risk of remaining hidden.

Practical implications

To foster knowledge sharing within organizations, measures should be taken to increase external, introjected and prosocial motivation, as it was found that these types of motivation have a significant positive impact on knowledge sharing.

Originality/value

The current unanswered question – whether or not prosocial motivation acts as a mediator between the motivation types of self-determination theory and knowledge sharing – is examined, thereby providing insights into the hitherto largely unexplored role of prosocial motivation in knowledge-sharing models.

中文翻译：

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知识共享和自决理论背景下亲社会动机的中介作用

目的

本文旨在确定亲社会动机是否在自决理论的个体动机类型与知识共享之间起中介作用。

设计/方法/方法

使用“Smart PLS 3”软件计算了基于数据收集（ N = 303）的偏最小二乘结构方程模型（PLS-SEM） 。

发现

关于个体动机类型对知识共享的影响，发现亲社会动机对外在动机提供间接中介，对内投动机提供补充中介，而对内在动机和识别动机没有中介作用。

研究限制/影响

未来的研究应该考虑使用亲社会动机作为中介来揭示间接影响，否则这些影响可能会被隐藏起来。

实际影响

为了促进组织内的知识共享，应采取措施增加外部、内向和亲社会的动机，因为发现这些类型的动机对知识共享具有显着的积极影响。

原创性/价值

研究了当前未回答的问题——亲社会动机是否在自决理论的动机类型和知识共享之间起中介作用，从而提供了对亲社会动机在知识共享模型中迄今为止很大程度上未被探索的作用的见解。