Pi, S. and Cai, W., 2019. Knowledge sharing under non-hierarchical ecosystem in international port waterway system. In: Guido-Aldana, P.A. and Mulahasan, S. (eds.), Advances in Water Resources and Exploration. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 93, pp. 855–861. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.

While the international port waterway ecosystem having been transformed by e-business and ICT, knowledge and information sharing between different sections in port waterway and environmental agents or consultants become increasingly important. This paper aims to understand the basic rules of individual agent competition by knowledge sharing behaviour in non-hierarchical network in international waterway ecosystem, and the effects of network evaluation on individual behaviour choice for status competition. We gathered one-month records of a Chinese professional QQ group, and applied content analysis and statistical tests methodology. We coded and analysed the individual sharing behaviour in the knowledge network. Finally, we built a knowledge network and empirically investigated the associations under research purpose by regression model. The results revealed that while systematic and peer evaluation have different moderating effects between positive association of individual knowledge sharing and network centrality. On the basis, three categories of knowledge networks evaluation system in the international waterway ecosystem are formed according to specific strategic position, including transferring knowledge network, innovative knowledge network, and collaborative knowledge network. This study pushed the theory of knowledge sharing behaviour into non-hierarchical community from hierarchical mechanism and accomplished the interdependence between sharing behaviour and individual status in the network, which formed the status competition approach and provide the micro approach for the theory of network effects. Furthermore, this paper established an evaluation model of the knowledge network, which contributes theoretically and practically to the knowledge network in the international waterway ecosystem.