Simmelian ties, organizational justice, and knowledge sharing in virtual workgroups
Abstract
We argue that types of Simmelian-tied employee dyads (dyads embedded in three-person cliques)
influences organizational justice perceptions, and knowledge sharing within and across
organizational boundaries through virtual workgroups. We study the interaction between employees'
advice and friendship ties, shared interpersonal, interactional, procedural and distributive justice
perceptions, and the types of knowledge shared from a social network perspective. We predict that
Simmelian-tied advice and friendship dyads influence justice perceptions, and in turn knowledge
sharing. Compared to Simmelian-tied advice dyads, we suggest that Simmelian-tied friendship dyads
were hypothesized to be strongly associated with congruent distributive, interpersonal, and
interpersonal justice perceptions. Congruent procedural justice perceptions were likely to be
associated with both Simmelian-tied advice and friendship ties. We hypothesized that distributive,
procedural, and informational justice perceptions were likely to be shared across formal
organizational boundaries through strong friendship ties. We also predicted that positive congruent
procedural, interpersonal and informational justice perceptions influenced expert knowledge sharing
while congruent distributive justice perceptions influenced product knowledge sharing.
Recommended Citation
Ho, Zhi Wei and Chang, Klarissa, "Simmelian ties, organizational justice, and knowledge sharing in virtual workgroups" (2009). ECIS 2009 Proceedings. 380.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/ecis2009/380