The Importance Of Knowledge Sharing

1. INTRODUCTION

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Knowledge sharing practices have been highlighted among researchers and business managers in recent years. Gibbert and Krause (2002) defined knowledge sharing as the willingness of individuals in an organization to share with others the knowledge they have acquired or created”. The concept of willingness must be highlighted as most knowledge exists within people’s minds. Even if significant efforts are made to codify knowledge into documents or in a knowledge management system, much knowledge is implicit and cannot be codified. Accessing this type of knowledge can only be done through active participation of the people carrying this knowledge The advantages that can be gained through knowledge sharing could bring can assist

ANALYSIS

This article reviews and discusses over three potential knowledge-sharing barriers that have been categorizing into three main domains as individual/personal, organisational, and technological barriers.

Barriers related to individual behavior or people’s perception can relate to any action relate to business functions. Numerous researchers noted that the ability of employees to share knowledge is depends on their communication skills. Effective communication, both verbal and written is important for effective knowledge sharing (e.g. Davenport and Prusak, 1998; Meyer, 2002). Employees’ national culture, sometimes recognised as an interrelated set of values, practices and symbols, that are shared and provide orientation to members of an organization also can be barriers to knowledge sharing. The knowledge power in term of inequalities in status and perceived lack of job security also might effect employees to participate in knowledge sharing. Knowledge hoarding might happened when an individual kept his knowledge to benefit his career advancement. Sharing of knowledge often was regarded as weakening an employee’s corporate position, power or status within the company (e.g. Probst et al., 2000; Tiwana, 2002). Even today, there often is a fear amongst employees that sharing knowledge reduces job security because people are uncertain about the sharing objectives and intent of their senior management (Lelic, 2001). Time restrictions has been listed as a reason why people may potentially hoard their knowledge rather than spend time to share knowledge with others. O’Dell and Grayson (1998) highlighted the lack of time as a common sharing barrier. It is also impossible to discuss knowledge sharing without mentioning the word trust. Most people will not their knowledge if they can’t trust the other parties regardless of misuse of the knowledge or the credibility of the information source. Another potential barrier that might worry employees is managers’ tolerance