Informal Knowledge Sharing, Knowledge Heterogeneity, and Routine Task Structure: A Multilevel Social Network Perspective

This study aims to provide a social network-based framework for investigating the social mechanisms by which heterogeneous knowledge emerging from routine task networks influences informal knowledge sharing within organizations. The study uses social network analysis to represent routine task networks and informal knowledge sharing as interconnected networks. ​ Data was collected in two waves over nine months from an SME. ​ Qualitative interviews identified organizational tasks, while quantitative surveys measured task dependencies and informal knowledge-sharing relationships through a roster method. This study used multilevel exponential random graph models (MERGMs) to analyze interdependencies between task and individual networks. Results show that individuals frequently seek ideas from peers performing the same task, but do not reciprocate by sharing ideas within the same task group. ​ Instead, reciprocity occurs among individuals performing unrelated tasks. ​ The exchange mechanism, in which individuals seek ideas from those whose tasks influence their own, is supported, while the evidence rejects entrainment. ​ These findings suggest that structured routines generate diverse knowledge flows, enhancing knowledge sharing through interactions across different tasks rather than within the same task group.