The influence of real estate brokers’ personalities, psychological empowerment, social capital, and knowledge sharing on their innovation performance: The moderating effect of moral hazard
This study examined the influence of personality, social capital, psychological empowerment, and knowledge sharing on the innovative performance of real estate brokers. Our conceptual framework was supported by the goodness-of-fit test
results of the structural equation model. Theoretically, our findings supported all seven hypotheses: personality and psychological empowerment positively affect social capital and innovation performance; social capital positively affects knowledge sharing; knowledge sharing positively affects innovation performance; and moral hazard confounds the influence of social capital on knowledge sharing.
In practice, even though real estate is part of the service industry, its most distinctive feature is that the product is one not regularly purchased. Real estate is characterized
by high price and is affected by locational, environmental, transportation, and economic factors. While it is relatively easy to become a real estate broker, salary, service, and work hours affect the mobility of brokers, whose tasks cover connecting with people, objects, services, and professional knowledge.
Thus, personality (being open, hard-working, outgoing, agreeable, and emotionally sensitive) and psychological empowerment (work meaning, autonomy, competence,
and job influence) are factors that are important to real estate brokers. Social capital (interaction intimacy and trust) reinforce the relationship between personality and
psychological empowerment. With the rise of information technology, knowledge has become the greatest asset. Thus, establishing trust between the organization’s members, provoking their willingness to share knowledge, and achieving healthy competition is conducive to teamwork.
Additionally, innovativeness is an indispensable trait for enhancing an individual’s professionalism. The information recipient and sharer can enhance their own competence and competitiveness based on the diverse experiences of their colleagues or through in-service education programs.
Nevertheless, moral hazards are very likely to arise in industries that serve people. Real estate brokers often put their own interests first when they encounter competition from their colleagues or rival companies. This puts them at risk of a situation of moral hazard that terminates relationships and knowledge sharing.
Our findings are consistent with what is seen in practice practical situations. Therefore, personality, psychological empowerment, and social capital generate knowledge spillover through mutual trust and cooperation, and are conducive to enhancing innovation performance, and industry sustainability.
Source: Frontiers