Knowledge Management in Virtual Teams: From the Perspective of Pluralistic Ignorance

Abstract

With the ever-accelerating development of the Taiwanese economy and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), the formation and cooperation of virtual teams consisting of inter-departments or inter-organisations is even more critical for Taiwanese enterprises. Notwithstanding, knowledge-sharing behaviours among virtual teams’ members seem more to be difficult because of the social influence factors of their short-term cooperation and coordination within such dynamic teams. In light of the above-mentioned crucial facts, this study draws on social influence relevant theories but also adds pluralistic ignorance (which stems from social cognitive bias resulting from behaviour that generally adheres to social norms) as a critical inhibitor or motivator to explore factors affecting knowledge-sharing behaviour through knowledge management systems (KMSs) within virtual teams of the Taiwanese society. Consequently, our predicted findings show that knowledge-sharing behaviour results from a complex interplay of individual psychological motivations, social influences, and the Chinese culture rooted within such virtual teams. The study provides significant insight into the theoretical, practical and cultural implications of KMSs strategies and offers valuable advice for knowledge managers or scholars in Taiwanese society.