An Interactionist Approach to Knowledge Sharing and Organisational Socialisation in the Context of International Graduate Programmes

Hansen, Henriette Schultz ; Rindom, Michelle

4. term

International Business Communication (English), Master

2021

2021-06-21

130

Denne kandidatafhandling undersøger, hvordan videndeling understøtter den organisatoriske socialisering af graduates i internationale graduateprogrammer, hvor hyppige rotationer på tværs af funktioner, afdelinger og lande skaber skiftende sociale kontekster. Med udgangspunkt i en interaktionistisk og socialkonstruktionistisk tilgang betragtes videndeling og socialisering som tæt forbundne processer, der formes i samspillet mellem organisation og medarbejder. Undersøgelsen kombinerer et organisationsperspektiv (to semistrukturerede interviews med HR-medarbejdere fra Danish Crown A/S og Arla Foods A/S) og et graduateperspektiv (en webbaseret survey med 21 internationale graduates) og analyserer data tematisk. Fundene peger på, at videndeling er kompleks og præges af sociopsykologiske faktorer, som påvirker graduates’ villighed og adfærd; desuden er et fælles sprog og en fælles forståelse af, hvordan man deler viden, afgørende for at videndeling kan fungere på tværs af teams, afdelinger og forretningsenheder. Interaktion og relationer med andre organisatoriske medlemmer skaber rammer, hvor graduates føler sig trygge ved at dele viden. HR bør derfor facilitere og opmuntre til tværgående samarbejde på tværs af interne grænser. Afhandlingen konkluderer, at videndeling ikke kan styres direkte, men at HR kan påvirke den ved at indtænke sociopsykologiske forhold i socialiseringsprocessen i internationale graduateprogrammer.

This master’s thesis examines how knowledge sharing supports the organizational socialization of graduates in international graduate programmes, where frequent rotations across functions, departments, and countries create shifting social contexts. Adopting an interactionist, social constructionist approach, the study treats knowledge sharing and socialization as intertwined processes shaped through interaction between the organization and its graduates. The research integrates an organizational perspective (two semi-structured interviews with HR employees from Danish Crown A/S and Arla Foods A/S) and a graduate perspective (a web survey with 21 international graduates), analyzed thematically. Findings indicate that knowledge sharing is complex and shaped by socio-psychological factors that influence graduates’ willingness and behavior; a shared language and shared understanding of knowledge-sharing practices are crucial for effective exchange across teams, departments, and business units. Interaction and relationships with other organizational members help create conditions where graduates feel comfortable sharing knowledge. Consequently, HR should facilitate and encourage cross-functional collaboration across internal boundaries. The thesis concludes that knowledge sharing cannot be tightly managed, but HR can influence it by attending to socio-psychological factors within the socialization process in international graduate programmes.

[This summary has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project (PDF)]

knowledge sharing ; knowledge-sharing behaviour ; videndeling ; organisational socialisation ; organisatorisk socialisering ; HR ; HRM ; Social constructionism ; intra-organisational knowledge sharing

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Hansen, Henriette Schultz:

• An Interactionist Approach to Knowledge Sharing and Organisational Socialisation in the Context of International Graduate Programmes (2021)

Rindom, Michelle:

• An Interactionist Approach to Knowledge Sharing and Organisational Socialisation in the Context of International Graduate Programmes (2021)