This paper contributes to the body of literature on knowledge sharing through insight into the relationship between the format of questions asked of individuals who are sources of knowledge and the attitudes of those that have been given the opportunity to cognitively integrate this knowledge into their own knowledge base. Aspects of the theoretical model proposed by Bircham (2003) are empirically evaluated, with results supporting the model.

This paper investigates how the structure of a question may hinder or assist in the knowledge sharing process. It presents a theoretical framework that posits the notion that the structure of the question asked of the source may have an effect on the recipient's attitude toward the knowledge received. Question structure is examined from the perspective of knowledge articulation and attitude toward the knowledge received is considered from the position of relevance and value of the knowledge to the recipient's decision‑making processes.