KEY FACTORS BEHIND KNOWLEDGE HOARDING AMONG UNDERGRADUATES IN SRI LANKAN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

This study investigated the factors influencing knowledge-hoarding behavior among management undergraduates in state universities in Sri Lanka. Despite extensive research on knowledge sharing in Sri Lanka, no study has explored the factors influencing knowledge hoarding among state university undergraduates, which this study seeks to address. Drawing upon an extensive literature review, a comprehensive model was developed that incorporated individual characteristics, organizational environment, and social influences as independent variables, with knowledge-hoarding behavior as the dependent variable. This research focuses on management undergraduates in Sri Lankan state universities, utilizing a stratified sampling method to ensure diverse representation across different institutions. Data were collected through an online survey administered through Google Forms, yielding 386 responses representing a response rate of 55.1%. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 29, employing descriptive statistics and regression analysis to examine the relationships between variables. The regression analysis revealed an R-squared value of 0.532, indicating that these factors collectively accounted for 53.2% of the variance in knowledge hoarding behavior among undergraduates. Specifically, the findings indicate that organizational environment (B = 0.414, p < 0.001) and social influences (B = 0.548, p < 0.001) are significant predictors of knowledge-hoarding behavior. In contrast, the individual characteristics were not significant predictors. The study concludes that knowledge-hoarding behavior among management undergraduates in Sri Lankan state universities is predominantly influenced by the organizational environment and social factors. Based on these findings, this study recommends fostering a culture of knowledge sharing through initiatives such as knowledge sharing workshops and seminars, developing platforms for collaborative learning, enhancing university policies and practices to support open communication and collaboration, and improving technological tools to facilitate secure and efficient knowledge sharing.