Analysis of Attitude, Motivations, and Barriers to Knowledge Sharing Behavior Among Postgraduate Students at Tabriz University

The current study aims to explore the attitudes, motivations, and obstacles to knowledge sharing among postgraduate students at the University of Tabriz.

The research method employed is a descriptive survey. The statistical population of the present study is 6,223 postgraduate students from the University of Tabriz, with a sample of 374 individuals selected based on the relative stratified sampling method according to the Krejci-Morgan table. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire. Its validity was confirmed by experts in Library and Information Science, and its reliability was determined to be 82.9% using Cronbach’s alpha. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 24, employing descriptive and inferential statistics, independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and linear regression.

The research findings indicated that the respondents’ age, gender, and major academic groups of the respondents had an effect on their knowledge sharing behavior, but their level of education did not. Pearson’s correlation coefficient results revealed a significant relationship between the extent of knowledge sharing and the components of attitude, motivation, barriers, resources, types of information, and knowledge sharing channels. Furthermore, the multiple regression analysis results showed that among all the independent variables, ‘attitude towards knowledge sharing’, ‘types of shared information and knowledge’, and ‘motivation to share knowledge’ were included in the equation. These three components explain 19% of the changes related to knowledge sharing.

Knowledge sharing can facilitate the exchange of ideas, experiences, and knowledge among students, leading to an expansion of knowledge and a deeper understanding of their subjects. In general, the implementation of knowledge sharing among postgraduate students at the University of Tabriz could help achieve the university’s educational and research objectives.