What are the Factors Motivating Knowledge Sharing Between Individuals in UAE

Dubai – Masaader News

Amna Al-Nakhi was granted with Doctorate in Business and Economics from United Arab Emirates University. The Doctorate under the title of “Investigation into knowledge transfer from expatriates to UAE nationals : organizational and individual factors motivating knowledge-sharing behavior in UAE organizations” .

The study talks about the factors that influence knowledge sharing between individuals in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) context, specifically knowledge sharing from expatriates to UAE citizens, at both an individual and organizational level. This research aims to highlight the determinants of knowledge-sharing behaviors and the role of interpersonal relations (social trust) in the knowledge transfer process. These factors can subsequently be considered by organizations and human resource (HR) practitioners to facilitate the successful implementation of knowledge-sharing behavior and knowledge transfer in UAE organizations and support UAE’s Emiratization policies and processes.

The study mentioned that UAE launched in 2015, the 2021 plan initiative, whereby the UAE economy is to be in the hands of UAE nationals. Emiratis are to be considered as one of the key drivers and enablers of this vision. Existing research highlights individual knowledge sharing as one of the drivers of learning between employees. The study also identified the factors that make sharers – expatriates – share their knowledge with recipients of knowledge – UAE nationals – to successfully receive knowledge in order for the Emiratis to execute their jobs at a professional level and enhance their contribution to the organization’s overall accomplishments and to the UAE economy as a whole.

The study made a resolution that leads to the support for knowledge sharing as well as the incentive and reward system are effective factors to enhance individual knowledge sharing. Likewise, several individual-level factors were examined, and the results reveal that self-efficacy, mutual reciprocity, and altruism positively influence employee engagement in knowledge-sharing behavior at the workplace in a UAE context.

Al-Nakhi study also revealed the important role of interpersonal relationship (social trust) as one of main driver for knowledge sharing behavior, and that it is feasible for organization to attain by creating organizational culture and structure which motivates social interaction and trust among expatriates and UAE local workers.