A portal implementation for information sharing: A case study in a pharmaceutical company

Abstract

An organization’s ability to create new knowledge is today regarded as a primary source of competitive advantage and will increase even more in the future. Therefore, an active support of organizations knowledge creation should be prioritised. The existence of “islands of information” makes it harder to efficiently utilize collaboration and the ability to share information. The purpose of this study is to investigate how a fragmented information environment affects information sharing among users and how information sharing between employees can be facilitated through the use of an intranet portal. Our study was performed in an R&D organization where knowledge is generated at a high pace and where collaboration and information sharing, across boundaries as well as on an internal level, are seen as essential components for organizational success. Our study shows that information is primarily shared through informal networks. One conclusion is that informal networks, at least in a short-term perspective, will still be the prominent way of sharing information after an implementation of a new portal. However, important benefits with the portal are that it can bridge distances between geographically dispersed project members. Moreover, effective ways of searching and navigating will promote information sharing because information will be easier to find for users. Also, virtual collaboration tools will enable users to exchange, share and discuss information and knowledge.