Understanding the factors influencing the value of person-to-person knowledge sharing

Susan A. Brown, Alan R. Dennis, Diana B. Gant

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

It is generally accepted that knowledge sharing is a difficult task for organizations. Many reasons for this difficulty have been proposed. In this paper, we offer another. Specifically, we build on Zander and Kogut's work [29] and examine the relationship between knowledge dimensions and knowledge sharing. Departing from their study, we focus on person-to-person, rather than organization-to-organization, knowledge sharing. We surveyed 68 employees of a Workman's Compensation Board in Canada. To analyze the data, we employed Hierarchical Linear Modeling. The results demonstrate that complexity and teachability increased person-to-person knowledge sharing but observability did not. Contrary to expectations, the availability of codified knowledge in a knowledge management system (KMS) had no impact on person-to-person knowledge transfer; individuals were as likely to share knowledge person-to-person regardless of whether there was a KMS available that contained appropriate knowledge.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 39th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, HICSS'06
Pages146b
DOIs
StatePublished - 2006
Event39th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, HICSS'06 - Kauai, HI, United States
Duration: Jan 4 2006Jan 7 2006

Publication series

NameProceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences
Volume7
ISSN (Print)1530-1605

Other

Other39th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, HICSS'06
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityKauai, HI
Period1/4/061/7/06

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Engineering

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