Abstract
Many peer-to-peer (P2P) networks have been popularly used for file sharing. However, P2P applications have also been notorious for sharing copyrighted digital goods besides for the free riding problem. Inherent in the characteristics of P2P networks that a peer acts both as a content provider and a consumer, a peer is granted autonomy to decide what, with whom, and when to share. Is it possible that a user can effectively share knowledge with others via a p2p network? A user’s attitude, normative, and control believes may influence a user’s intention to share knowledge through P2P networks. This study adopts the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to attempt to explain the knowledge sharing behaviors on a P2P network. Due to the lack of empirical data, this study conducts experiments on a P2P network platform, SOKUL to test the hypotheses derived from TPB in collaborative learning activities. Through the survey of 47 subjects and transaction log data of SOKUL, experimental results indicate that subjective norm significantly influences peers’ intention for knowledge sharing under a collaborative learning circumstance, and behavior of knowledge sharing is indeed positively related to intention which matches with what TPB model claims. Based on these results, implications of the findings and future research directions are also discussed in this study. Keywords: Knowledge sharing; collaborative learning; peer-to-peer networks, Theory of Planned Behavior