Boosting Collaboration: How Daily Expectations Drive Knowledge Sharing in the Workplace

Introduction

Effective knowledge sharing is essential for organizational success. It drives innovation, improves decision-making, and boosts overall performance. For example, imagine a marketing team working on a new campaign. A junior employee struggles with analyzing customer data, and a senior colleague notices and shares a simple method they use for data analysis, along with a spreadsheet template. In return, the junior employee, who recently attended a webinar on social media trends, shares insights on emerging platforms that could enhance the campaign’s reach.

Yet, despite these benefits, many employees do not actively share their knowledge. This could be due to various reasons – employees may not realize that their insights could benefit others, they might not consider knowledge sharing as part of their job, or they may hesitate to share valuable information for fear of losing their competitive edge. So, how can organizations cultivate a culture where knowledge is shared more often? In a recent study published in the European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology by Roy Sijbom (VU Amsterdam), Ellis Emanuel (Universiteit van Amsterdam), Jessie Koen (TNO, Universiteit van Amsterdam), Matthijs Baas (Universiteit van Amsterdam), and Leander De Schutter (VU Amsterdam), we show that managing knowledge sharing is about managing daily expectations. They conducted two preregistered studies using a within-person diary design, where employees recorded their knowledge sharing activities over 10 consecutive workdays.

The Importance of Daily Knowledge Sharing Expectations

Managing knowledge effectively goes beyond having the right tools or systems in place—it is about employees’ daily interactions and behaviors. Knowledge sharing rarely happens spontaneously; it relies on cues from supervisors and coworkers and requires regular reinforcement to stay salient. When employees are not sure what is expected of them in terms of knowledge sharing, opportunities for collaboration can be missed, and organizational performance may suffer. Our study focuses on how clear, daily knowledge sharing expectations from supervisors and coworkers influence knowledge sharing behaviors. By emphasizing daily interactions and expectations, we reveal how social and professional cues shape an employee’s willingness to contribute.

Key Takeaways:

Daily Knowledge Sharing Expectations Matter: Both supervisor and coworker expectations are positively linked to employees’ knowledge sharing behaviors on the same day. Clear, consistent expectations can encourage more active knowledge exchange.

Peer Influence is Stronger Than Supervisor Expectations: Co-worker expectations have a more significant impact on knowledge sharing than expectations from supervisors. This highlights the importance of fostering peer-driven collaboration in teams.

Learning Goal Orientation Plays a Role:

• For employees with high learning goal orientation, knowledge sharing is more strongly influenced by coworker expectations. These employees are intrinsically motivated to learn and share, making external triggers less necessary.
• For employees with low learning goal orientation, daily expectations from coworkers have a stronger influence on their knowledge sharing behavior. These employees may need more external prompts to engage in knowledge exchange.

Daily Fluctuations in Knowledge Sharing: Knowledge sharing behaviors are dynamic and can fluctuate from day to day. For example, sharing knowledge on one day can actually reduce the likelihood of sharing the next day. This suggests that daily expectations help create a more consistent rhythm of sharing.

Practical Implications

For Managers:

• Set Clear Expectations – Regularly: To encourage regular knowledge sharing, it is important to communicate clear daily expectations. This can be done through team meetings, emails, or informal check-ins, where you can set the tone for the day and encourage sharing.
• Leverage Peer Influence: Coworkers have a stronger influence on knowledge sharing than supervisors. Managers can encourage a peer-driven culture by creating opportunities for informal knowledge exchanges, like team brainstorming sessions or cross-department collaboration.
• Tailor Approaches Based on Learning Goals: Employees with a high learning goal orientation may not need daily external expectations to share knowledge. For these employees, focus on creating a continuous learning environment where they are encouraged to grow and learn, rather than imposing strict daily expectations.

For Employees:

• Embrace Knowledge Sharing Opportunities: Even small contributions can help build a culture of collaboration. Whether you are responding to a colleague’s question or sharing a helpful article during a meeting, your participation can have a big impact on team success.
• Be Aware of Expectations: Understanding the expectations set by your coworkers and supervisors can help guide your daily behaviors. If you know that sharing knowledge is expected of you, you are more likely to take action and contribute.

Example:
Imagine a scenario where a team leader sends out a quick reminder at the start of each day, encouraging everyone to share any helpful insights or resources with their peers. For instance, the team leader might say, “Good morning, team! Let’s make today productive by sharing any useful tips or tools you come across. Your insights can help us all work more efficiently.” This sets a clear expectation for knowledge sharing, making employees more confident about contributing their expertise. As a result, a junior employee might share a new social media trend, while a senior colleague offers a time-saving data analysis technique. These daily interactions foster collaboration and improve team performance.

Conclusion

Our research highlights the crucial role of clear daily expectations in promoting collaboration and knowledge exchange. While both supervisors and coworkers play a vital role in setting these expectations, our findings indicate that coworker expectations are particularly effective in motivating employees to share knowledge. By cultivating a workplace where knowledge sharing is encouraged daily and expectations are clearly communicated, organizations can foster a more engaged, collaborative, and innovative workforce—ultimately enhancing individual performance and overall organizational success.