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Research on the influencing factors of knowledge transfer among construction workers based on social cognitive theory

Shan Zhou (Hainan University, Haikou, China)
Luping Qin (Hainan University, Haikou, China)
Jixuan Zhang (Hainan University, Haikou, China)
Xinying Cao (Hainan University, Haikou, China)

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management

ISSN: 0969-9988

Article publication date: 3 February 2022

Issue publication date: 8 May 2023

631

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to employ social cognitive theory (SCT) as a theoretical framework to investigate the influencing factors affecting the knowledge transfer effectiveness of construction workers in China. The mediating role of their knowledge transfer willingness is also assessed.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire on knowledge transfer among Chinese construction workers is designed and subsequently analyzed by structural equation modeling (SEM), with a total sample of 288 construction workers.

Findings

The SEM results show that the knowledge self-efficiency, blood and geographic relationships, and trust relationship promote knowledge transfer willingness and positively influence the knowledge transfer effectiveness of construction workers. However, the effect of organizational culture on knowledge transfer willingness and effectiveness is nonsignificant.

Practical implications

The results are conducive to managers and governments formulating strategies to optimize the learning mechanism of construction workers and facilitate their obtaining of resources from the project, thus easing skill shortages and promoting the transformation of construction workers into industrial workers.

Originality/value

This paper innovatively proposes blood and geographic relationships as research variables, expanding their scope. Furthermore, SCT is applied to enable future research to better understand individual knowledge transfer behavior from both personal and environmental perspectives.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 72161007). The authors also would like to thank Miss Kexin Qiu in Chongqing University, Miss Xiang Yuan in Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Miss Junjing Liu in Hainan University, Mr. Yang Feng of China Construction Eighth Group Construction and Development Co., Ltd., and Mr. Yu Zheng and Yingchao Ma of Vanke Real Estate Group Co., Ltd. for their assistance in date collection.

Citation

Zhou, S., Qin, L., Zhang, J. and Cao, X. (2023), "Research on the influencing factors of knowledge transfer among construction workers based on social cognitive theory", Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, Vol. 30 No. 4, pp. 1768-1786. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-07-2021-0621

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited

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