Investigating Ownership and the Willingness to Share Information Online

Computers in Human Behavior, Vol. 23, pp. 2367-2382, 2007

16 Pages Posted: 24 Jul 2007

See all articles by Daphne Ruth Raban

Daphne Ruth Raban

School of Business Administration

Sheizaf Rafaeli

University of Haifa - Graduate School of Business

Abstract

Networks offer the promise of sharing information. This project aims to experimentally investigate aspects of the propensity to share information online, with a specific focus on the system-induced status of information. Is a simple manipulation of the cognitive status of information sufficient to gain changes in sharing levels? A simple computerized game was used to simulate business decision situations that required participants to use information, and enabled sharing it. Our hypotheses compared the willingness to share under different conditions of system-induced ownership of information. Participants' perception of information source and ownership was the independent variable. Sharing was higher for privately owned expertise than it was for organizationally owned content. Ownership makes a difference. It serves to increase sharing of information. Ownership can and should be framed by system design.

Keywords: Information sharing, Willingness to share, Ownership

Suggested Citation

Raban, Daphne Ruth and Rafaeli, Sheizaf, Investigating Ownership and the Willingness to Share Information Online. Computers in Human Behavior, Vol. 23, pp. 2367-2382, 2007, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1000845

Daphne Ruth Raban (Contact Author)

School of Business Administration ( email )

610 Jacobs Bldg
University of Haifa
Haifa, 3498838
Israel

Sheizaf Rafaeli

University of Haifa - Graduate School of Business ( email )

Haifa 31905
Israel

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