Knowledge sharing in higher education institutes An empirical investigation of individual characteristics

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between individual characteristics and knowledge sharing (KS) in higher education institutes (HEIs) of Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach The study used a quantitative research methodology. The empirical data consisted of 370 responses from the academic staff of six HEIs of Pakistan. Findings The findings revealed a significant impact of dispositional factors on KS. More precisely, extroversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, emotional intelligence and religiosity were positively associated with KS, while neuroticism was found to be negatively associated with KS. Practical implications - This micro-level model of KS has some potential implications for the decision makers in the context of HEIs. To enhance the KS in HEIs, the decision makers should take the findings of this study into consideration while hiring the academicians in the universities. The decision makers should give priority to the potential candidates who have a higher level of extroversion, openness and agreeableness. Further, while making hiring and other job-related strategies, religiosity and emotional intelligence of the potential candidates should not be ignored. Originality/value The paper tested a micro-level model of KS in HEIs and contributed to the body of knowledge by jointly investigating the relationship between religiosity, emotional intelligence, personality traits and KS. To the best of researchers' knowledge, no study has been conducted, so far, which tested these variables jointly. Thus, the present research filled this knowledge gap.