From Motivation to Action—The Roles of Opportunity and Ability for Effective Knowledge Transfer within Project Teams

Knowledge transfer within project teams is the normal paradigm under the project context, and successful knowledge transfer will effectively improve project management performance. Based on MOA (Motivation-Opportunity-Ability) model, individual factors of effective knowledge transfer were identified. Through the investigation of 234 samples from construction enterprises, in-depth study of the relationship among team members’ knowledge transfer motivation, inter-members’ strength of network connection, knowledge transfer ability and effectiveness of knowledge transfer（EKT）shows that: individual autonomous motivation has a positive effect on EKT, while controlled motivation plays a regulatory role between these two variables. Inter-members’ strength of network connection plays a positive regulatory role between motivation and EKT, while the same presumed role of knowledge transfer ability has not been proved. The different combinations of inter-members’ strength of network connection and knowledge transfer ability have distinguished effects on the relationship between motivation and EKT as well. Therefore, practical suggestions are put forward to promote project members to participate in knowledge transfer initiatives.