The social psychology of knowledge management

Purpose - This article seeks to address the social aspects of handling knowledge and information. For this purpose, it considers findings from social psychology and discusses their applicability in knowledge management research and practice. Design/methodology/approach - The article presents a selective but systematical review of recent social psychological literature that can be applied for knowledge management purposes. Findings - Two social psychological concepts that strongly influence knowledge processes in organizations are first introduced: social norms and social identity. Two types of social processes that are particularly relevant for knowledge management subsequently take center stage in this article: knowledge sharing and knowledge processing in organizations. The roles social norms and social identity play in knowledge sharing and knowledge processing are then assessed. Originality/value - Implications for knowledge management practice are considered: among other implications, it is discussed what computer-mediated support can contribute to knowledge management processes in organizations with respect to both knowledge sharing and knowledge processing.