The Impact of Risk Perception Difference of Members of a Scientific Research Project Team on Information Adoption: The Moderating Effect of Knowledge Inertia

A scientific research project is always full of uncertainties and risks. In this condition, full exchange and complementarity of information resources among project team members are necessary and important to meet the information needs for project risk management and even affect the success of the project. The differentiated risk perception of members with various professional backgrounds can contribute to the communication and complementary of the necessary information within the team. However, too much difference in perceptions of project risks may cause members’ information conflicts, which may hinder the adoption of various information and do harm to the risk management. Considering the limited research on this “contradictory” relationship, especially for the scientific research project team, a special group, this study explores the impact of the risk perception differences of the scientific research project team members on information adoption behavior through the large sample empirical statistical method. The results show the hat risk perception difference of members positively affects the learning willingness and information adoption behavior but does not show a negative effect, and there is no inverted U-shaped relationship. Further, learning willingness plays a mediating role between both, while learning inertia and experience inertia positively and negatively moderate the positive effects of risk perception differences on learning willingness, respectively. From the cognitive perspective, this study further reveals the internal influence mechanism of risk perception difference of scientific research project team members on information behavior and provides a theoretical reference for improving the efficiency of information communication and optimizing collaborative team management.