Understanding the Role of Ego-Centered Knowledge Networks in Problem Solving and Individual Performance

Professionals need to collaborate with other professionals when they do not possess all relevant knowledge to perform knowledge tasks. For speedy and economic access to knowledge, modern knowledge workers develop and maintain knowledge sharing ties with colleagues who work in similar professions and knowledge domains. The ties between knowledge workers develop through work associations and/or personal interactions. Such ties are formed irrespective of the organizational boundaries and formal structures and known as ego-centered networks of professionals. Ego-centered knowledge networks have not been recognised as efficient means of acquiring work-specific knowledge in the knowledge management literature. Research is needed to understand how ego-centric knowledge networks provide ready access to work-specific knowledge that can help professionals to solve complex problems and improve performance at work. Using theories of social capital and social exchange, we try to answer questions what role ego-centered networks play in coordinating work-specific knowledge and how do professionals collaborate to share knowledge in the absence of organisational control mechanisms. Data is collected through a questionnaire survey from 342 individuals working in a variety of professions and industry sectors in New Zealand. Questions were asked to find the existence of ego-centred knowledge networks around professionals and the use of this network to acquire work-specific knowledge. Our results provide evidence that professionals share work-specific knowledge in their ego-centered knowledge networks as they believe this would help them improving their problem solving capability and performance at work. Professionals believe that norm of reciprocity is important in fostering informal knowledge collaboration with peers. Implications for practice and future research are discussed