An empirical study of nuclear power-related knowledge flow after Fukushima

Abstract

Fukushima nuclear power plant accident has become a hot topic in debates among professional communities. It also caused knowledge searching and knowledge sharing among social groups. However, there is a lack of empirical studies investigating nuclear power-related knowledge flow in social communities. This paper examines nuclear power-related knowledge flow by focusing on the case of college students in South Korea. The research investigates the following objectives: the types of knowledge shared, the mechanism of knowledge flow, effectiveness of knowledge flow, and the factors influencing the knowledge flow. The results show that different types of nuclear energy-related knowledge were shared; mass media play an important role in knowledge flow; trust relationship, personal interests and cultural factors influence the effectiveness of knowledge flow.