External consultants and knowledge sharing : a comparative study of permanent employees and external consultants

Abstract

This research is an examination of permanent employees and external consultants in the oil and gas industry in Norway. It aims at answering the research question: What factors enhance knowledge-sharing behavior of external consultants, in comparison with permanent employees? Due to the nature of external consultancy work, the main hypothesis is that external consultants are more reluctant to share knowledge. Results show no significant difference in knowledge sharing behavior of permanent employees and external consultants, while organizational support, trust, and intrinsic motivation are enhancing factors. Results also show that external consultants are more extrinsically motivated and have a lower perception of job autonomy.