Skip to main content
Log in

The Relationship Between Machiavellianism and Knowledge Sharing Willingness

  • Published:
Journal of Business and Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Knowledge sharing has become a legitimate and important organizational activity. Over the last two decades, firms have become creative in their efforts to make knowledge sharing take place. Meanwhile, Machiavellian orientation has been regarded as one of the most important variables in the study of management and organizational behavior for the last three decades. However, the existing literature does not offer any measure of relationships between Machiavellianism and knowledge sharing willingness. Therefore, this research aims to explore the relationship between Machiavellianism and knowledge sharing willingness. With a total of 325 valid questionnaires completed by employees, the paper presents some conclusive and valuable suggestions for businesses and scholars alike.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ajzen, I., & Fishbein, M. (1980). Understanding attitudes and predicting social behavior. Englewood Cliffs, NY: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alavi, M., & Leidner, D. E. (2001). Review: Knowledge management and knowledge management systems: Conceptual foundations and research issues. MIS Quarterly, 25(1), 107–136.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andersson, L. M., & Bateman, T. S. (1997). Cynicism in the workplace: Some causes and effects. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 18, 449–469.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Armstead, C., & Meakins, M. (2002). A framework for practicing knowledge management. Long Range Planning, 35, 49–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bagozzi, R. P., Yi, Y., & Phillips, L. W. (1991). Assessing construct validity in organizational research. Administrative Science Quarterly, 36, 421–458.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action. Englewood Cliff, NJ: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blau, P. (1964). Exchange and power in social life. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bock, G. W., & Kim, Y. G. (2002). Breaking the myths of rewards: An exploratory study of attitude about knowledge sharing. Information Researches Management Journal, 15, 14–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burke, L. A., & Witt, L. A. (2004). Personality and high-maintenance employee behavior. Journal of Business and Psychology, 18(3), 349–363.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Calhoon, R. P. (1969). Niccolo Machiavelli and the twentieth century administrators. Academy of Management Journal, 12, 205–212.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chow, C. W., Deng, F. J., & Ho, J. L. (2000). The openness of knowledge sharing within organizations: A comparative study of the United States and the People’s Republic of China. Journal of Management Accounting Research, 12, 65–95.

    Google Scholar 

  • Christie, R., & Geis, F. L. (1970). Studies in Machiavellianism. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davenport, T. H., & Prusak, L. (2000). Work knowledge: How organizations manage what they know. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dixon, N. (2002). The neglected receiver of knowledge sharing. Ivey Business Journal, 66(4), 35–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Domelsmith, D. E., & Dietch, J. T. (1978). Sex differences in the relationship between Machiavellianism and self-disclosure. Psychological Reports, 42, 715–721.

    Google Scholar 

  • Drory, A., & Gluskinos, U. M. (1980). Machiavellianism and leadership. Journal of Applied Psychology, 65(1), 81–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Drucker, P. (1992). The new society of the organizations. Harvard Business Review, 70(5), 95–104.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Durand, D. E., & Nord, W. R. (1976). Perceived leader behavior as a function of personality characteristics of supervisors and subordinates. Academy of Management Journal, 19(3), 427–438.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fishbein, M., & Ajzen, I. (1975). Beliefs, attitude, intention, and behavior: An introduction to theory and research. Philippines: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ford, D. P., & Chan, Y. E. (2003). Knowledge sharing in a multi-cultural setting: A case study. Knowledge Management Research and Practice, 1, 11–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fraedrich, J., Ferrell, O. C., & Pride, W. (1989). An empirical examination of three Machiavellian concepts: Advertisers vs. the general public. Journal of Business Ethics, 8, 687–694.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gable, M., & Topol, M. (1987). Job satisfaction and Machiavellian orientation among department store executives. Psychological Reports, 60, 211–216.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gable, M., & Topol, M. (1988). Machiavellianism and the department store executive. Journal of Retailing, 64(1), 68–84.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gable, M., & Topol, M. (1989). Machiavellianism and job satisfaction of retailing executive in a specialty store chain. Psychological Reports, 64, 107–112.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gable, M., & Topol, M. (1991). Machiavellian managers: Do they perform better? Journal of Business and Psychology, 5(3), 355–365.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gable, M., & Dangello, F. (1994). Job involvement, Machiavellianism, and job performance. Journal of Business and Psychology, 9(2), 159–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gross, A. E. (2001). Knowledge sharing—The crux of quality, quality Congress. In ASQ’s Annual Quality Congress Proceedings, Milwaukee (pp. 452–456).

  • Hegarty, W. H., & Sims, H. P. (1978). Some determinants of unethical decision behavior: An experiment. Journal of Applied Psychology, 63(4), 451–457.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, S., & Chonko, L. (1984). Marketing and Machiavellianism. Journal of Marketing, 48, 30–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hunter, J. E., Gerbig, D. W., & Boster, F. J. (1982). Machiavellian beliefs and personality: Construct invalidity of the Machiavellianism dimension. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 43, 1293–1305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hwang, K. K., & Marsella, A. J. (1977). The meaning and measurement of Machiavellianism in Chinese and American college students. Journal of Social Psychology, 101, 165–173.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, W. A. Jr. (1990). Student views of ethical issues: A situational analysis. Journal of Business Ethics, 9, 201–205.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, G. E., & Kavanagh, M. J. (1996). An experimental examination of the effects of individual and situational factors on unethical behavioral intentions in the workplace. Journal of Business Ethics, 15, 511–523.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, R., & White, C. S. (1983). Relationships between Machiavellianism, task orientation, and team effectiveness. Psychological Reports, 53, 859–866.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu, C. C., & Chen, S. Y. (2005). Determinants of knowledge sharing of e-learners. International Journal of Innovation and Learning, 2(4), 434–445.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loebecke, C., Fenema, P. C. V., & Powell, P. (1999). Co-Opetition and knowledge transfer. The Data Base for Advances in Information Systems, 30(2), 14–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lorange, P. (1996). Strategy at the leading edge-interactive strategy-alliances and partnership. Long Range Planning, 29(4), 581–584.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ma, H. K. (1985). Cross-cultural study of the development of law-abiding orientation. Psychological Reports, 57, 967–975.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matusik, S., & Hill, C. (1998). The utilization of contingent work, knowledge creation, and competitive advantage. Academy of Management Review, 23(4), 680–697.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mcevily, S. K., Das, S., & Mccabe, K. (2002). Avoiding competence substitution through knowledge sharing. Journal of Management Review, 25(2), 294–311.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mudrack, P. E. (1989). Age-related differences in Machiavellianism in an adult sample. Psychological Reports, 64, 1047–1050.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mudrack, P. E. (1993). An investigation into the acceptability of workplace behaviors of a dubious ethical nature. Journal of Business Ethics, 12, 517–524.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson, G., & Gilbertson, D. (1991). Machiavellianism revisited. Journal of Business Ethics, 10, 633–639.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nonaka, A. (1994). A dynamic theory of organizational knowledge creation. Organization Science, 5(1), 14–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Okanes, M. M., & Murray, L. W. (1980). Achievement among men and women managers. Psychological Reports, 46, 783–788.

    Google Scholar 

  • Panitz, E. (1989). Psychometric investigation of the Mach IV scale measuring Machiavellianism. Psychological Reports, 64, 963–968.

    Google Scholar 

  • Penrose, E. (1995). The theory and growth of the firm (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pratt, M., Golding, G., & Hunter, W. (1983). Aging as ripening: Character and consistency of moral judgment in young, mature, and older adults. Human Development, 26, 277–288.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robbins, S. D. (2005). Organizational behavior (11th ed.). NJ: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rotter, J. B. (1980). Interpersonal trust, trustworthiness, and gullibility, American Psychologist, 35, 1–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stajkovic, A. D., & Luthans, F. (1998). Social cognitive theory and self-efficacy: Going beyond traditional motivational and behavioral approaches. Organizational Dynamics, 26, 62–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sinaiko, H. W., & Brislin, R. W. (1973). Evaluating language translations: Experiments on the three assessment methods. Journal of Applied Psychology, 57(3), 328–334.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simon, H. A. (1992). Models of bounded rationality: Behavioral economics and business organization. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Straub, D. W. (1989). Validating instruments in MIS research. MIS Quarterly, 13(2), 147–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turner, C. F., & Martinez, D. C. (1977). Socio-economic achievement and the Machiavellian personality. Sociometry, 40(4), 325–336.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vitell, S. J., Lumpkin, J. R., & Rawwas, M. Y. A. (1991). Consumer ethics: An investigation of the ethical beliefs of elderly consumers. Journal of Business Ethics, 10, 365–375.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vleeming, R. G. (1979). Machiavellianism: A preliminary review. Psychological Reports, 44, 295–310.

    Google Scholar 

  • Von Hippel, E. (1994). Sticky information and the locus of problem solving: Implication for innovation. Management Science, 40(4), 429–439.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, L. (1998). Collection and connection: Rationalized and embedded knowledge in knowledge-intensive organizations. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Harvard University.

  • Williamson, O. E. (1985). The economic institution of capitalism: Firms, markets, relational contracting. New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woobock, G., & Kim, Y. G. (2002). Breaking the myths of rewards: An exploratory study of attitudes about knowledge sharing. Informational Resource Management Journal, 15(2), 14–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zey-Ferrell, M., Weaver, K. M., & Ferrell, O. C. (1979). Predicting unethical behavior among marketing practitioners. Human Relations, 3, 557–569.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chung C. Liu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Liu, C.C. The Relationship Between Machiavellianism and Knowledge Sharing Willingness. J Bus Psychol 22, 233–240 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-008-9065-1

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-008-9065-1

Keywords

Navigation