WANT TO KNOW WHAT I KNOW? An assessment of Knowledge Sharing in a Knowledge Intensive Firm

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to on an organisational level assess knowledge sharing in a Knowledge Intensive Firm. Theory: The main theories used are; Dreyfus’s (2004) model of expert knowledge, Human Capital Theory (Sweetland, 1996), Knowledge Based View of the firm (Levitas, 2013) and the concepts; Tacit and Explicit knowledge (Nonaka, 1994) and Knowledge Intensive Firm (Alvesson, 2004). Method: The study is carried out through a qualitative method using semi-structured interviews and case-study design. Interviews are conducted with consultants and consultant managers within the case company and a thematic analysis is used for analysing the qualitative data. The respondent group consist of 13 participants. Result: Findings of this study indicate that knowledge sharing is an important activity within a knowledge intensive firm. A model of the identified sharing and development of knowledge is presented. This process can be summarised as transferring of the external inflow of knowledge, through found challenges to knowledge sharing and attributes of knowledge, on the foundation of identified facilitating prerequisites. By the use of this process, we argue that the organisational knowledge will increase. Found challenges to knowledge sharing are presented along with how these can be viewed and worked with.