To Share or Not To Share: How Deep-Level Similarity Impacts Expatriate Knowledge Sharing

Drawing on the person-person (P-P) fit literature, this study demonstrates how to enhance knowledge sharing between expatriates and their host country national (HCN) colleagues. Survey data was collected from 84 expatriate-HCN dyads working in 31 different host countries. Results demonstrate that when expatriates perceive higher levels of similarity with their HCN colleagues in terms of deep- level attributes such as values, personality, goals, and abilities (i.e. high P-P fit) they are more likely to engage in information elaboration, which in turn facilitates knowledge sharing. In addition, it was found that this process was moderated by helping behaviors: for expatriates who perceive lower levels of deep-level similarity with their HCN counterparts (i.e., low P-P fit), regularly helping their HCN colleague offsets the undesirable effects of low levels of deep-level similarity. Implications for research and practice are discussed.