thesis_Daniela Noethen_print final - Jacobs University

Multilevel Investigation of Antecedents of Knowledge Sharing and Seeking in Teams
2.5.1. Hierarchical linear modeling
The results of the hypotheses tests are given in Table 2. Model 1 presents the relationships of
the control variables with knowledge sharing and seeking. Model 2 additionally depicts the
relationships of the independent variables with knowledge sharing and seeking.
As shown in Model 1, the control variables experience, full-time employment, and the
climate supporting innovativeness were positively, and team mean experience negatively
related to knowledge sharing. Knowledge seeking, on the other hand, was negatively related
to experience and team mean experience, and positively related to white collar work as well
as full-time employment. Model 1 explained 3.7% of the within-group and 59.7% of the
between-group variance in knowledge sharing, and 10.9% of the within-group and 55.3% of
the between-group variance in knowledge seeking.
Results of the hypotheses tests are shown in Model 2. Hypotheses 1a and 1b are fully
supported, as individual age was positively related to knowledge sharing (γ = 0.01, p = 0.03)
and negatively related to knowledge seeking (γ = -0.02, p = 0.01). Hypotheses 1c and 1d
predicted that average team age has a negative effect on knowledge sharing and a positive
effect on knowledge seeking. Results shown in Model 2 demonstrate that there was no
significant relationship between average team age and knowledge sharing, but, contrary to
predictions, there was a negative relationship between team age and knowledge seeking.
Nevertheless, according to the results from contrast analysis (Table 3), individual- and teamlevel
coefficients of age did not differ, either for sharing (χ 2 = 0.01, p > 0.5 ) or for seeking (χ 2
= 2.09, p = 0.15). This suggests that the significant team-level coefficient for seeking is due to
the individual-level relationship and does not constitute a true contextual effect. Therefore,
Hypotheses 1c and 1d could not be supported. However, the contrasts between the
coefficients of age for knowledge sharing and seeking revealed that the influence of age on
62