Abstract
In recent years, knowledge management has been utilized as an essential strategy to foster the creation of organizational intellectual capital. Organizational intellectual capital can be derived both individually and collectively in the process to create, store, share, acquire, and apply personal and organizational knowledge. However, some organizations only focus on the development of public good, despite the concerns arising from individuals’ self-interest or possible risks. The different concern of individual and collective perspectives toward knowledge management inevitably leads to ethical conflicts and ethical culture in the organization (Jarvenpaa et al., J Manage Inf Syst 14(4):29–64, 1998; Ruppel and Harrington, IEEE Trans Prof Commun 44(1):37–52, 2000). The purpose of this study is to examine the ethical climate within the organization and its possible influence on members’ evaluation, satisfaction, engagement, and job performance with respect to knowledge management practice. The research results reveal that several types of organizational ethical climate coexist in the organization and have different degrees of influence on employees’ attitude as well as participation in knowledge management activities. In this article, we argue the importance of organizational ethical climate and highlight the implications of such a climate for facilitating knowledge management.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aedichvili, A., Page, V., and Wentling, T. (2003). Motivation and barriers to participation in virtual knowledge-sharing communities of practice. Journal of Knolwedge Management, 7(1), 64-77.
Ajzen, I.: 1988, Attitudes, Personality, and Behavior (Dorsey Press, Chicago, IL)
Ajzen, I. (2001). Nature and operation of attitude. Annual Review of Sociology, 52, 27-58.
Alavi, M., Kayworth, T. R., and Leidner, D. E. (2005–2006). An empirical examination of the influence of organizational culture on knowledge management practices. Journal of Management Information Systems, 22(3), 191-224.
Alavi, M., and Leidner, D. E. (2001). Review: Knowledge management and knowledge management systems: Conceptual foundations and research issues. MIS Quarterly, 25(1), 107-136.
Alavi, S. B., and McCormick, J. (2004). Theoretical and measurement issues for studies of collective orientation in team contexts. Small Group Research, 35(2), 111-127.
Anantatmula, V. S. (2007). Linking km effectiveness attributes to organizational performance. VINE: The Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems, 37(2), 133-149.
Ardichvili A, Page V, Wentling T (2003) Motivation and barriers to participation in virtual knowledge-sharing communities of practice. Journal of Knowledge Management, 7(1), 64-77.
Barnett, T., and Vaicys, C. (2000). The moderating effect of individuals’ perceptions of ethical work climate on ethical judgements and behavioral intentions. Journal of Business Ethics, 27, 351-362.
Becerra-Fernandez, I., and Sabherwal, R. (2001). Organizational knowledge management: A contingency perspective. Journal of Management Information Systems, 18(1), 23-55.
Bergman, R. (2004). Identity as motivation: Toward a theory of the moral self. In D. K. Lapsley & D. Narvaez (Eds.), Moral development, self, and identity (pp. 21-46). London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Blau, P. M. (1964). Exchange and power in social life. New York: Wiley.
Boadie, S. (1994). Ethics with aritotle. New York: Oxford University Press.
Bock, G. W., and Kim, Y. G. (2002). Breaking the myths of rewards: An exploratory study of attitudes about knowledge sharing. Information Resource Management Journal, 15(2), 14-21.
Bock, G.-W., Zmud, R. W., Kim, Y.-G., and Lee, J.-N. (2005). Behavioral intention formation in knowledge sharing: Examining the roles of extrinsic motivators, social-psychological forces, and organizational climate. MIS Quarterly, 29(1), 87-111.
Bontis, N., and Fitz-enz, J. (2002). Intellectual capital roi: A causal map of human capital antecedents and consequents. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 3(3), 223-247.
Bontis, N., and Serenko, A. (2007). The moderating role of human capital management practices on employee capabilities. Journal of Knolwedge Management, 11(3), 31-51.
Brickson, S. (2000). The impacts of identity orientation on individual and organization outcomes in demographically diverse settings. The Academy of Management Review, 25(1), 82-101.
Brown, J. S., and Duguid, P. (2001). Knowledge and organization: A social-practice perspective. Organization Science, 12(2), 198-213.
Chan, A., and Garrick, J. (2003). The moral ‘technologies’ of knowledge management. Information, Communication & Society, 6(3), 291-306.
Chin, W. W. (1998). The partial least square approach to structural equation modeling. In G. A. Marcoulides (Ed.), Modern methods for business research (pp. 295-336). Mahway, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Assoicates.
Clark, J. W., and Dawson, L. E. (1996). Personal religiousness and ethical judgements: An empirical analysis. Journal of Business Ethics, 15(3), 359-372.
Coldwell, D. A., Billsberry, J., Meurs, N. v., and Marsh, P. J. G. (2008). The effects of person – organization ethical fit on employee attraction and retention: Towards a testable explanatory model. Journal of Business Ethics, 78(4), 611-622.
Cronin Jr, J. J., Brady, M. K., and Hult, G. T. M. (2000). Assessing the effects of quality, value, and customer satisfaction on consumer behavioral intentions in service environments. Journal of Retailing, 76(2), 193.
Cullen, J. B., and Victor, B. (1993). The ethical climate questionnaire: An assessment of its development and validity. Psychological Reports, 73, 667-674.
Damico, A. J. (1982). The sociology of justice: Kohlberg and milgram. Political Theory, 10(3), 409-434.
Davenport, T. H., and Prusak, L. (1998). Working knowledge: How organizations manage what they know. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
Jager, M. d. (1999). The kmat: Benchmarking knowledge management. Library Management, 20(7), 367-372.
DeLone, W. H., and McLean, E. R. (1992). Information systems success: The quest for the dependent variable. Information Systems Research, 3(1), 60-95.
DeLong, D. W., and Fahey, L. (2000). Diagnosing cultural barriers to knowledge management. Journal of Management Executive, 14(4), 113-127.
Detert, J. R. and Edmondson, A. C. (2007). Why employees are afraid to speak. Harvard Business Review, 85(5), 23-25.
Dixon, N. M. (2000). Common knowledge: How companies thrive by sharing what they know. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Dubinsky, A. J., and Loken, B. (1989). Analyzing ethical decision making in marketing. Journal of Business Reseaerch, 19(2), 83-107.
Duncan, W. J. (1986). Ethical issues in the development and application of business and management knowledge. Journal of Business Ethics, 5(5), 391-400.
Earley, P. C., and Gibson, C. B. (1998). Taking stock in our progress on individualism-collectivism: 100 years of solidarity and community. Journal of Management, 24(3), 265-304.
Edwards, J. R. (2001). Multidimensional constructs in organizational behavior research: An integrative analytical framework. Organizational Research Methods, 4(2), 144-192.
Gefen, D., Straub, D. W., and Boudreau, M.-C. (2000). Structural equation modeling and regression: Guidelines for research practice. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 4(7), 1-76.
Gilbert, M. and M. Gordey-Hayes: 1996, `Understanding the Process of Knowledge Transfer to Knowledge Transfer to Achieve Successful Technological Innovation', Technovation 16(6), 301–312
Gold, A. H., Malhotra, A., and Segars, A. H. (2001). Knowledge management: An organizational capabilities perspective. Journal of Management Information Systems, 18(1), 185-214.
Gross, M. L. (1995). Moral judgment, organizational incentives and collective action: Participation in abortion politics. Political Research Quarterly, 48(3), 507-534.
Hair, J. F., Anderson, R. E., Tatham, R. L., and Black, W. C. (1998). Multivariate data analysis (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Haslam SA (2000) Psycholoy in organizationsl: The social identity approach. London: Sage.
Janz, B. D., and Prasarnphanich, P. (2003). Understanding the antecedents of effective knowledge management: The importance of a knowledge-centered culture. Decision Sciences, 34(2), 351-384.
Jarvenpaa, S. L. and D. S. Staples: 2001, `Exploring Perceptions of Organizational Ownership of Information and Expertise', Journal of Management Information Systems 18(1), 151–183
Jarvenpaa, S. L., Knoll, K., and Leidner, D. E. (1998). Is anybody out there? Antecedents of trust in global virtual teams. Journal of Management Information Systems, 14(4), 29-64.
Jones, T. M. (1991). Ethical decision making by individuals in organizations: An issue-contingent model. Academy of Management review, 16(2), 366-395.
Kohlberg, L. (1981). The philosophy of moral development. New York: Harper & Row.
Kulkarni, U. R., Ravindran, S., and Freeze, R. (2006). A knowledge management success model: Theoretical development and empirical validation. Journal of Management Information Systems, 23(3), 309-347.
Kuo, F.-Y., and Young, M.-L. (2008a). Predicting knowledge sharing practices through intention: A test of competing models. Computers in Human Behavior, 24(6), 2697-2722.
Kuo, F.-Y., and Young, M.-L. (2008b). A study of the intention-action gap in knowledge sharing practices. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 59(8), 1224-1237.
Leana, C. R., and van Buren III, H. J. (1999). Organizational social capital and employment practices. Academy of Management Review, 24(3), 538-555.
Lee, K. C., Lee, S., and Kang, I. W. (2005). Kmpi: Mesuring knowledge management performance. Information and Management, 42, 469-482.
Leung, A. S. M. (2008). Matching ethical work climate to in-role and extra-role behaviors in a collectivist work setting. Journal of Business Ethics, 79(1), 43-55.
Malloy, D. C. and J. Agarwal: 2003, `Factors Influencing Ethical Climate in a Nonprofit Organisation: An Empirical Investigation', International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing 8(3), 224–250
McCann, J. E., and Buckner, M. (2004). Strategically integrating knowledge management initiatives. Journal of Knolwedge Management, 8(1), 47-63.
McDaniel, C. (2004). Organizational ethics: Research and ethical environments. Burlinton, VT: Ashgate.
McDermott, R. (1999). Why information technology inspired but cannot deliver knowledge management. California Management Review, 41(4), 103-117.
McDermott, R., and O’Dell, C. (2001). Overcoming cultural barriers to sharing knowledge. Journal of Knowledge Management, 5(1), 76-85.
Michailova, S., and Husted, K. (2003). Knowledge-sharing hostility in russian firms. Claifornia Management Review, 45(3), 59-77.
Michailova, S., and Hutchings, K. (2006). National cultural influences on knowledge sharing: A comparison of china and russia. Journal of Management Studies, 43(3), 383-405.
Mulki, J. P., Jaramillo, J. F., and Locander, W. B. (2008). Critical role of leadership on ethical climate and salesperson behaviors. Journal of Business Ethics, 86(2), 125-141.
Nahapiet, J., and Ghoshal, S. (1998). Social capital, intellectual capital, and organizational advantage. Academy of Management Review, 23(2), 242-266.
Nunamaker, J. F., Romano, N. C., and Briggs, R. O. (2001). Increasing intellectual bandwidth: Generating value from intellectual capital with information technology. Group Decision and Negotiation, 11(2), 69-86.
Nunnally, J. C., and Bernstein, I. H. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed. ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
O’Boyle, E. J., and L. E. Dawson, J. (1992). The american marketing association code of ethics: Instructions for marketers. Journal of Business Ethics, 11(12), 921-932.
Ong, C.-S., and Lai, J.-Y. (2007). Measuring user satisfaction with knowledge management systems: Scale development, purification, and initial test. Computers in Human Behavior, 23, 1329-1346.
Palvia, P. C. (1996). A model and instrument for measuring small business user satisfaction with information technology. Information and Management, 31(3), 151-163.
Paul, P., Roy, A., and Mukhopadhyay, K. (2006). The impact of cultural values on marketing ethical norms: A study in india and the united states. Journal of International Marketing, 14(4), 28-56.
Peterson, D. K. (2002). The relationship between unethcial behavior and the dimensions of the ethical climate questionnaire. Journal of Business Ethics, 41, 313-326.
Pfeffer, J., and Sutton, R. (1999). The smart-talk trap. Harvard Business Review, 77(3), 134-142.
Reichers, A. E., and Schneider, B. (1990). Organizational climate and culture. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Ringle, C. M., S. Wende and A. Will: 2005, ‘Smartpls. 2.0 (Beta)’, http://www.smartpls.de. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
Robinson, J. P., Shaver, P. R., and Wrightsman, L. S. (1991). Criteria for scale and evaluation. In J. P. Robinson, P. R. Shaver & L. S. Wrightsman (Eds.), Measures of personality and social psychological attitude. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
Ruppel, C. P., and Harrington, S. J. (2000). Sharing knowledge through intranets: A study of organizational culture and intranet implementation. IEEE Transactions of Professional Communication, 44(1), 37-52.
Schein, E. H. (1985). Organizational culture and leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Schneider, B. (1983). Work climates: An interactionist perspective. In N. W. Feimer & E. S. Geller (Eds.), Environmental psychology: Directions and perspectives (pp. 106-128). New York: Praeger.
Shin, M., T. Holden and R. A. Schmidt: 2001, `From Knowledge Theory to Management Practice: Towards an Integrated Approach', Information Processing and Management 37, 335–355
Smircich, L. (1983). Concepts of culture and organizational analysis. Administrative Science Quarterly, 28, 338-358.
Solomon, R. C. (2004). Aristotle, ethics and business organizations. Organization Studies, 25(6), 1021-1043.
Steenkamp, J. B. E. M., and Van Trijp, H. C. M. (1991). The use of lisrel in validating marketing constructs. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 8(4), 283-299.
Szulanski, G.: 1996, ‘Exploring Internal Stickiness: Impediments to the Transfer of Best Practice Within the Firm’, Strategic Management Journal 17(special issue: knowledge and the firm), 27–43.
Tesluk, P. E., Farr, J. L., and Klein, S. R. (1997). Influences of organizational culture and climate on individual creatvity. Journal of Creative Behavior, 31(1), 27-41.
Thibaut, J. W., and Kelley, H. H. (1986). The social psychology of groups. New Brunswick, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Tiwana, A. (2000). The knowledge management toolkit: Practical techniques for building a knowledge management system. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Triandis, H. C., McCusker, C., and Hui, C. H. (1990). Multimethod probes of individualism and collectivism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59(5), 1006-1020.
Victor, B., and Cullen, J. B. (1987). A theory and measure of ethical climate in organizations. In W. C. Frederick (Ed.), Research in corporate social performance and policy (Vol. 9, pp. 51-71). Greenwich, CG: JAI Press.
Victor, B., and Cullen, J. B. (1988). The organizational bases of ethical work climate. Administrative Science Quarterly, 33, 101-125.
Wasko, M. M., and Faraj, S. (2000). “It is what one does”: Why people participate and help others in electronic communities of practice. Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 9(2/3), 155-173.
Wimbush, J. C., Shepard, J. M., and Markham, S. E. (1997). An empirical examination of the relationship between ethical climate and ethical behavior from multiple levels of analysis. Journal of Business Ethics, 16, 1705-1716.
Wixom, B. H., and Todd, P. A. (2005). A theoretical integration of user satisfaction and technology acceptance. Information Systems Research, 16(1), 85-102.
Yu, S.-H., Y.-G. Kim and M.-Y. Kim: 2007, `Do We Know What Really Drives km Performance?', Journal of Knowledge Management 11(6), 39–53
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tseng, FC., Fan, YJ. Exploring the Influence of Organizational Ethical Climate on Knowledge Management. J Bus Ethics 101, 325–342 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0725-5
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0725-5