Digital knowledge sharing and creative performance: Work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic
Øystein Tønnessen1,2, Amandeep Dhir1,3,4, Bjørn-Tore Flåten1
1Department of Management, School of Business and Law, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway.
Technological Forecasting and Social Change
|January 24, 2022
Summary
Work from home during COVID-19 significantly boosted creative performance through digital knowledge sharing. Individual motivation and increased digital platform use were key drivers for this enhanced productivity in remote work settings.
Area of Science:
- Organizational Behavior
- Information Science
- Social Psychology
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated widespread adoption of remote work, leading to significant disruptions in traditional work environments.
- The impact of large-scale, enforced work from home (WFH) practices on employee outcomes remains under-researched.
- Understanding digital knowledge sharing (DKS) and creative performance (CP) in this new context is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between internal and external digital knowledge sharing (DKS) and creative performance (CP) among employees working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To examine the influence of demographic, individual, and organizational factors on DKS and CP, using social capital theory.
- To identify factors that predict enhanced creative performance in a forced WFH environment.
Main Methods:
- An online, cross-sectional survey was conducted with knowledge workers in Norway during the pandemic lockdown.
- Social capital theory served as the theoretical framework for data analysis.
- Statistical methods were employed to assess the associations between DKS, CP, and various influencing factors.
Main Results:
- Both internal and external digital knowledge sharing (DKS) were found to be significant predictors of creative performance (CP) in the WFH context.
- Female and older employees demonstrated a higher propensity for external DKS.
- Individual motivation positively correlated with both internal and external DKS, as well as overall CP.
Conclusions:
- Increased utilization of digital platforms enhances creative performance (CP) within the work from home (WFH) setting, especially during pandemic-induced circumstances.
- Demographic factors and individual motivation play distinct roles in facilitating digital knowledge sharing and creative output.
- The study underscores the importance of digital infrastructure and motivational strategies for sustaining productivity and innovation in remote work environments.
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