Social Media for Knowledge Sharing in Automotive Repair

363 Pages·2017·6.767 MB·English

by  Patric Finkbeiner (auth.)

Patric Finkbeiner
Social Media
for Knowledge
Sharing in
Automotive
Repair
Social Media for Knowledge Sharing
in Automotive Repair
Patric Finkbeiner
Social Media
for Knowledge Sharing
in Automotive Repair
123
Patric Finkbeiner
Stuttgart
Germany
ISBN978-3-319-48543-0 ISBN978-3-319-48544-7 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-48544-7
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2016955930
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To AP
Knowledge is experience.
Everything else is just Information.
—Albert Einstein
Acknowledgments
There are a number of people who were significantly involved in the process of
composing this work, and whom I have to express my sincerest gratitude for their
support and constant encouragement.
First, I would like to thank Dr. Aftab Dean, for the inspiring guidance,
invaluable, constructive criticism, and the friendly counselling he provided
throughout this academic journey.
Completing this work took more than academic support:
Above all: thank you to my loved family and my wonderful partner who have
beenconstantlysupportingmeandbeenthegreatestmotivatoronthisjourney:My
mother, whose unconditional love and positivity have taught me faith and the
strength to hold on to the aim of finishing this work, my father, my brother, and
sister who I can count on in every difficult moment. You, together with my trea-
sured grandparents are the motivation and inspiration of my life. Thank you for
making me who I am.
Thank you toall my friends and research colleagues,who havebeen struggling
together with me in similar situations and who have mastered them with mutual
support.
Thank you to my dear friend Prof. Dr. Dorothee Brauner for her statistical
brilliance.ThankyoutomyfriendsDr.SteffenRahnandDr.MineaSchwenk,who
succeeded in distracting me when necessary.
Finally yet importantly, I would like to thank everyone who took part in this
work: the informants, stakeholders, and supporters of this research and those
supporting the vision of creating something new and contributing to the body of
knowledge.
ix
’
Authors Publications
Finkbeiner, P. (2015). Knowledge sharing in automotive repair: The Major
Predictors. International Journal of Sales, Retailing & Marketing, 4(2), 60–68.
Finkbeiner, P. (2014). Knowledge Sharing in the automotive workshop. Paper
presented at the 11th CIRCLE Conference, Manchester University, England.
Finkbeiner,P.(2013).SocialMediaandSocialCapital:ALiteratureReviewinthe
field of knowledge management. International Journal of Management Cases, 15
(4), 6–19.
Finkbeiner,P.,&Dean,A.(2013).MediaandSocialCapital:ALiteratureReview
in the field of knowledge management. Book of Abstracts of the 10th CIRCLE
InternationalConferenceforConsumerBehaviourandRetailingResearch,Instituto
Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Portugal, April 3–6.
Finkbeiner, P., & Dean, A. (2012). Capitalizing on Social Media to unleash the
networked Knowledge of a Community of Practitioners. International Journal of
Sales,RetailingandMarketingSpecialIssue:Selectedpapersfromthe9thCIRCLE
Conference, 8, 22–29.
Finkbeiner, P. (2012). Capitalizing on Social Media features. Book of Abstracts,
ofthe9thCIRCLEInternationalConferenceforConsumerBehaviourandRetailing
Research, University of the Balears, Spain, April 11–13.
Finkbeiner, P. (2011). Intercultural Differences in Knowledge Transfers in the
ContextofGenerationalChangeofSMEsinGermany,UKandItaly.International
Journal of Management Cases, 13, 61–64.
xi
Contents
1 Introduction.... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 1
1.1 Research Objectives . ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 3
1.2 Research Questions.. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 3
1.3 Contribution to the Body of Knowledge... .... .... ..... .... 4
1.4 Aggregation: Research Questions and Knowledge Gaps.... .... 4
2 Industry Background .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 5
2.1 Introduction ... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 5
2.2 Germany and its Automotive Industry .... .... .... ..... .... 5
2.3 Germany’s Automotive Aftermarket.. .... .... .... ..... .... 7
2.4 Value of Automotive Repair in Germany.. .... .... ..... .... 9
2.5 Vehicle Diagnosis and European Regulations... .... ..... .... 11
2.6 Offline-Knowledge Online: The Automotive
Mechanic’s Asset ... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 12
2.7 Social Media and Knowledge... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 13
2.8 Social Media for Repair-Knowledge Management ... ..... .... 14
2.9 Chapter Conclusion . ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 15
3 Literature Review ... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 17
3.1 Chapter Objectives.. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 17
3.2 Literature Review Design.. .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 18
3.2.1 Social Media..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 19
3.2.2 Web 2.0.... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 20
3.2.3 Defining User-Generated Content . .... .... ..... .... 33
3.2.4 Social Media in Automotive Repair ... .... ..... .... 34
3.2.5 Defining Virtual Community. .... .... .... ..... .... 36
3.3 Knowledge Management .. .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 37
3.4 Concept of Knowledge and Its Sharing ... .... .... ..... .... 38
3.4.1 Types of Knowledge... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 39
3.4.2 Tacit and Explicit Knowledge.... .... .... ..... .... 40
3.4.3 Collective Knowledge by Relationships .... ..... .... 42
xiii
xiv Contents
3.5 Social Capital and Community.. .... .... .... .... ..... .... 43
3.5.1 Sociotechnical Capital.. .... .... .... .... ..... .... 46
3.5.2 Norm of Reciprocity... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 47
3.5.3 Trust .. .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 49
3.6 Technology Acceptance Research.... .... .... .... ..... .... 52
3.6.1 Social Cognitive Theory (SCT)... .... .... ..... .... 53
3.6.2 Criticism of SCT.. .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 54
3.6.3 Theory of Interpersonal Behaviour (TIB) ... ..... .... 55
3.6.4 Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA).... .... ..... .... 56
3.6.5 Criticism of TRA . .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 58
3.6.6 Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). .... ..... .... 58
3.6.7 Criticism of TAM. .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 62
3.6.8 Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)... .... ..... .... 62
3.6.9 Criticism of TPB.. .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 64
3.7 Knowledge Sharing in the Context of Theory .. .... ..... .... 65
3.7.1 Knowledge-Sharing Predictors in Organizations ... .... 66
3.7.2 Knowledge Sharing in Social Media... .... ..... .... 70
3.7.3 Knowledge Sharing in Virtual Social Communities. .... 71
3.7.4 Current Trends in Social Media Acceptance Studies .... 74
3.8 Main Findings and Implications of Reviewed Studies ..... .... 79
3.9 Implications from the Literature Review... .... .... ..... .... 79
3.10 Chapter Conclusion . ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 83
4 Research Approach.. .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 87
4.1 Chapter Objectives.. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 87
4.2 Research Paradigm: Considering Epistemology, Ontology,
and Methodology ... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 88
4.3 The Major Philosophical Research Paradigms
in Social Inquiry.... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 89
4.4 Justification of Research Paradigm... .... .... .... ..... .... 92
4.5 Theoretical Perspective of This Research .. .... .... ..... .... 94
4.6 Quantitative Research in Social Science... .... .... ..... .... 94
4.7 Qualitative Research in Social Science.... .... .... ..... .... 96
4.8 Mixed-Methods Approaches in Social Science.. .... ..... .... 97
4.9 Defining a Research Design.... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 99
4.10 Data Collection and Sampling .. .... .... .... .... ..... .... 101
4.11 Chapter Conclusion . ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 101
5 Qualitative Research: Participant Observation. .... .... ..... .... 105
5.1 Chapter Objectives.. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 105
5.2 Observation Types: Classification.... .... .... .... ..... .... 106
5.3 Decision on Observation Type: Participant Observation.... .... 106
5.3.1 History of Participant Observation. .... .... ..... .... 107
5.3.2 Ethnomethodology and Phenomenology .... ..... .... 109
5.3.3 Outcome Data of Participant Observation ... ..... .... 110