Interpersonal Trust and Willingness of Knowledge Sharing among Architects: An Application of Personal Construct Theory in Knowledge Management

Abstract

Based on in-depth interviews and the personal construct theory, this paper explores the constructs that affect interpersonal trust and willingness of knowledge sharing among architects in Mainland, China. The process of the interviews will be described to illustrate how personal construct theory is applied. A triangulation method is then used to analyze the interview data: cluster analysis for testing the validity of those constructs; principle component analysis for finding the underlying dimensions of the interview data; and content analysis for cross-checking of the results from the principle component analysis. The final results suggest that interpersonal trust may be only a mediating variable for willingness of knowledge sharing. Further research and development is also discussed.