NY Times recently concluded a study titled the "psychology of sharing", where it sought to study what it is that motivates people to share with others online. This study is extremely important, given that we now live in a "culture of sharing". Social networks are nearly universally adopted by the younger generations, and sharing opinions, articles, videos, images etc. is a big part of what they do on these networks.
On the other hand, businesses want to replicate this culture of sharing in organizations, and encourage employees to connect and share documents, information and knowledge across the organization. This study gives an insight into the question of why people share at all, and may be used by those who want to encourage information sharing in their context - marketers who want their content shared as widely as possible, or organizations which want to encourage employees to share knowledge. Key findings of the research were:
- Sharing for information management: This is a very interesting finding. With the deluge of information everyone has access to, sharing helps people clarify their own insights on information. 85% of respondents said that reading other people's responses helps them understand and process information and events. 73% said they process information more deeply, thoroughly and thoughtfully when they share it.
-Â Building relationships: The study identified 5 major motivations for sharing. However, there was a common theme which pervaded all five - information sharing as a medium of building relationships.
-Â Personas:Â The study identified six sharing "personas" which distinguishes the emotional states, the desired projection of self and the importance of sharing to people sharing information. Â Â
