Governing the knowledge sharing for repatriates with SECI model:An empirical test

Knowledge sharing of repatriates is embedded in a complex project environment and affected by the organizational knowledge governance mechanisms. This paper seeks to find out the mechanisms that promote repatriates to share their knowledge achieved in international construction projects after returning to domestic projects. We collect data from 245 respondents in 33 Chinese contractors. The test results indicate that adoption of knowledge governance mechanisms influence repatriates’ knowledge sharing via the knowledge sharing process generated from SECI model, namely, socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization. Through knowledge socialization and externalization, knowledge governance mechanisms can be stronger motivation to inspire repatriates’ tacit knowledge sharing than explicit knowledge sharing. This paper provides both theoretical implications for knowledge sharing theory and managerial suggestions for professional construction projects in sharing repatriates’ knowledge.