A QUALITATIVE RESEARCH ON INDIVIDUAL BARRIERS TO KNOWLEDGE SHARING: CAUSES AND REMEDIES A HEALTH-CARE SECTOR BASED STUDY

Download

Volume 14 Issue 2 2018

Author(s):

Muhammad Abdul Basit-Memon
Lecturer Sukkur IBA University.
m.memon@mdx.ac.uk

Manzoor Ali Mirani
Professor Sukkur IBA University.
manzoor@iba-suk.edu.pk

Shahid Bashir
Assistant Professor, SZABIST Islamabad.
Sahidbashir_uk@yahoo.com

Abstract Management and sharing of knowledge have been among the topmost strategic priorities of the organizations, due to its generally acknowledged role toward the improvement of organizational performance, the accomplishment of organizational goals, and achievement of competitive advantage. However, most of the organizations, despite spending huge budgets on the implementation of quality knowledge management systems, fail to enjoy the benefits of knowledge sharing due to several individual organizational and technological barriers that impede the successful sharing of knowledge. Hence, it seems extremely important to understand the factors that impede knowledge sharing and foil the successful implementation of knowledge management systems. This study has been conducted to empirically investigate the individual barriers to knowledge sharing. Based on 75 qualitative interviews within three healthcare organizations of the capital of Pakistan, this research has identified unwillingness to share, lack of motivation, time deficiency, absence of trust, cultural dissimilarity, and lack of a common language as some of the most significant individual barriers to knowledge sharing. This study has not only identified the barriers but, also the remedies to knowledge sharing in the light of the recommendations from the interviewees.
Keywords Knowledge Sharing, Individual Knowledge Sharing Barriers, Remedies to knowledge Sharing Barriers, Unwillingness to Share, Trust, Motivation, Cultural and Language Differences.
Year 2018
Volume 14
Issue 2
Type Short Report
Recognized by Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, HEC
Category "Y"
Journal Name IBT Journal of Business Studies
Publisher Name ILMA University
Jel Classification I11, K32
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.46745/ilma.jbs.2018.14.02.07
ISSN no (E, Electronic) 2409-6520
ISSN no (P, Print) 2416-8393
Country Pakistan
City Karachi
Institution Type University
Journal Type Open Access
Type of Review Double Blind Peer Reviewed
Format PDF
Paper Link http://ibtjbs.ilmauniversity.edu.pk/journal/jbs/14.2/7.pdf
Page 77-89
References Adler, P. S., & Kwon, S. W. (2002). Social capital: Prospects for a new concept. Academy of management review, 27(1), 17-40.

Alavi, M. & Leidner, D.E. (2001). Review: Knowledge management and knowledge management systems: Conceptual foundations and research issues. MIS Quarterly, 25(1), 107-32.

Ardichvili, A., V. Page & T. Wentling (2003). Motivation and Barriers to Participation in Virtual Knowledge-Sharing Communities of Practice. Journal of Knowledge Management 7(1), 64-77.

Argote, L., Beckman, S., & Epple, D. (1990). The Persistence and Transfer of Learning in Industrial Settings. Management Science, 36(2), 140-154.

Bartol, K. M., & Srivastava, A. (2002). Encouraging knowledge sharing: The role of organizational reward systems. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 9(1), 64-76.

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), 77-101.

Blaxter, L., Hughes, C. & Tight, M. (1996). How to Research. Buckingham: Open University Press.

Bradfield, D. J., & Gao, J. X. (2007). A methodology to facilitate knowledge sharing in the new product development process. International Journal of Production Research, 45(7), 1489-1504.

Bureš, V. (2003). Cultural barriers in knowledge sharing. E+ M Economics and Management, 6, 57-62.

Cabrera, A., & Cabrera, E. F. (2002). Knowledge-sharing dilemmas. Organization studies, 23(5), 687-710.

Casimir, G., Lee, K., & Loon, M. (2012). Knowledge sharing: Influences of trust, commitment and cost. Journal of Knowledge Management, 16(5), 740-753.

Christensen, U., Schmidt, L. and Dyhr, L. (2008). The qualitative research interview, in Vallgaarda, S. and Kock, L. (Eds), Research Methods in Public Health, Gyldendal Akademisk, Copenhagen.

Currie, G., & Kerrin, M. (2003). Human resource management and knowledge management: enhancing knowledge sharing in a pharmaceutical company. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 14(6), 1027-1045.

Dalkir. K. (2005). Knowledge Management in Theory and Practice. Elsevier Inc.

Davenport, T. H., De Long, D. W., & Beers, M. C. (1998). Successful knowledge management projects. Sloan management review, 39(2), 43-57.

De Long, D.W. & Fahey, L. (2000). Diagnosing cultural barriers to knowledge management. Academy of Management Executive, 14(4), 113-27.

Detmer, W. M., & Shortliffe, E. H. (1997). Using the Internet to improve knowledge diffusion in medicine. Communications of the ACM, 40(8), 101-108.

Du Plessis, M. (2003). The role of knowledge management in eBusiness and customer relationship management. Doctoral thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria

Du Plessis, M. (2005). Drivers of knowledge management in the corporate environment. International journal of information management, 25(3), 193-202.

Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989). Building Theories from Case-Study Research. Academy of Management Review, 14(4), 532-550.

Gold, A.H., Malhotra, A. & Segars, A.H. (2001). Knowledge management: an organizational capabilities perspective. Journal of Management Information Systems, 18(1), 185- 214.

Grant, R. M. (1996). The knowledge based view of the firm: Implications for management practice. Long Range Planning, 30(3), 450-454

. Hauschild, S., Licht, T., & Stein, W. (2001). Creating a knowledge culture. The McKinsey Quarterly, 74-74.

Hendriks, P. (1999). Why share knowledge? The influence of ICT on the motivation for knowledge sharing. Knowledge and Process Management, 6(2) 91-100.

Hew, K. F., & Hara, N. (2007). Empirical study of motivators and barriers of teacher online knowledge sharing. Educational Technology Research and Development, 55(6), 573.

Horak, B. J. (2001). Dealing with human factors and managing change in knowledge management: a phased approach. Topics in health information management, 21(3), 8- 17.

Husted, K. & Michailova, S. (2002). Knowledge sharing in Russian companies with Western participation. Management International, 6(2), 17-28.

Ingram, P. & Baum, J.A.C. (1997). Opportunity and constraint: organizations learning from the operating and competitive experience of industries. Strategic Management Journal, 18, special Summer issue, 75-98.

Jarvenpaa, S. L., & Staples, D. S. (2001). Exploring perceptions of organizational ownership of information and expertise. Journal of Management Information Systems, 18(1), 151-183.

Kimble, C., Grenier, C., & Goglio-Primard, K. (2010). Innovation and knowledge sharing across professional boundaries: Political interplay between boundary objects and brokers. International Journal of Information Management, 30(5), 437-444.

KPMG, (2003). Knowledge Management Research Report, http://www.kpmg.com.

Kukko, M. (2013). Knowledge sharing barriers in organic growth: A case study from a software company. The Journal of High Technology Management Research, 24(1), 18-29.

Kvale, S. (1996). Interviews: An introduction to Qualitative Research Interviewing. Sage Thousand Oaks. CA Google Scholar.

Levy, M., Hadar, I., Greenspan, S., & Hadar, E. (2010). Uncovering cultural perceptions and barriers during knowledge audit. Journal of Knowledge Management, 14(1), 114-127.

Lilleoere, A. M., & Holme Hansen, E. (2011). Knowledge-sharing enablers and barriers in pharmaceutical research and development. Journal of knowledge management, 15(1), 53-70.

Lindsey, K. L. (2003). Unmasking barriers to knowledge sharing using a communication framework. The University of Memphis.

Lindsey, K. (2003). Unmasking barriers to knowledge sharing using a communication framework. AMCIS 2003 Proceedings, 448.

Lugger, K. M., & Kraus, H. (2001). Mastering the human barriers in knowledge management. Journal of Universal Computer Science, 7(6), 488-497.

McAllister, D.J. (1995). Affect- and cognition-based trust as foundations for interpersonal cooperation in organizations. Academy of Management Journal, 38(1), 24-59.

McDermott, R. & O'Dell, C. (2001). Overcoming Cultural Barriers to Sharing Knowledge. Journal of Knowledge Management, 5 (1), 76-85.

McNeish, J., & Mann, I. J. S. (2010). Knowledge sharing and trust in organizations. IUP Journal of Knowledge Management, 8(1/2), 18-38.

Meyer, P. (2002). Improvisation power. Executive Excellence, 19(12), 17-18.

Michailova, S. & Husted, K. (2003). Knowledge sharing in Russian companies with western participation. Management International, 6(2), 19-28.

Möller, K., & Svahn, S. (2004). Crossing East-West boundaries: Knowledge sharing in intercultural business networks. Industrial Marketing Management, 33(3), 219-228..

Mooradian, T.A., Renzl, B. & Matzler, K. (2006). Who Trusts? Personality, Trust and Knowledge Sharing. Management Learning, 37(4), 523-540.

Murray, P. (2002). Knowledge management as a sustained competitive advantage. Ivey Business Rowley, T., Behrens, D. & Krackhardt, D. (2000). Redundant governance structures: an analysis of structural and relational embeddedness in the steel and semiconductor industries. Strategic Management Journal, 21, 369–86.

Nahapiet, J. & Ghoshal, S. (1998). Social capital, intellectual capital, and the organizational advantage. The Academy of Management Review, 23(2), 242-66.

O'dell, C., & Grayson, C. J. (1998). If only we knew what we know: Identification and transfer of internal best practices. California management review, 40(3), 154-174.

Patrick, K., Rourke, G., & Phillips, N. (2000). Issues of trust in knowledge management. Vine, 30(4), 44-51.

Patton, M. Q. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and research methods. SAGE Publications, inc. Probst, G., Romhardt, K., & Raub, S. (2000). Managing knowledge: Building blocks for success. J. Wiley.

Renzl, B. (2008). Trust in management and knowledge sharing: the mediating effects of fear and knowledge documentation. Omega, 36(2), 206-20.

Ribiere, V. M., & Sitar, A. S. (2003). Critical role of leadership in nurturing a knowledge- supporting culture. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 1(1), 39-48.

Riege, A. (2005). Three-dozen knowledge-sharing barriers managers must consider. Journal of Knowledge Management, 9(3), 18-35.

Ring, P. S., & Van de Ven, A. H. (1994). Developmental processes of cooperative inter- organizational relationships. Academy of management review, 19(1), 90-118.

Santos, V. R., Soares, A. L., & Carvalho, J. Á. (2012). Knowledge sharing barriers in complex research and development projects: an exploratory study on the perceptions of project managers. Knowledge and Process Management, 19(1), 27-38.

Sharp, D. (2003). Knowledge management today: challenges and opportunities. Information systems management, 20(2), 32-37.

Siakas, K. V., Georgiadou, E., & Balstrup, B. (2010). Cultural impacts on knowledge sharing: empirical data from EU project collaboration. Vine, 40(3,4), 376-389.

Skyere, D. (2000). Knowledge Management: Making Sense of an Oxymoron, http://www.skyrme.com/pubs/ knwstrat.htm. Accessed 13 November 2001.

Stake, R.E. (2006). Multiple Case Study Analysis. The Guilford Press, London.

Szulanski, G. (1996). Exploring internal stickiness: Impediments to the transfer of best practice within the firm. Strategic Management Journal, 17, no. Winter Special Issue, 27-43.

Vajjhala, N. R. (2013). Key barriers to knowledge sharing in medium-sized enterprises in transition economies. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 4(14).

Wang, S., & Noe, R. A. (2010). Knowledge sharing: A review and directions for future research. Human Resource Management Review (20) 115–131.

Wilmot, A. (2005). Designing sampling strategies for qualitative social research: with particular reference to the Office for National Statistics Qualitative Respondent Register. Survey methodology bulletin-office for national statistics- 56, 53.

Yeşil, S., & Hırlak, B. (2013). An empirical investigation into the influence of knowledge sharing barriers on knowledge sharing and individual innovation behaviour. International Journal of Knowledge Management (IJKM), 9(2), 38-61.

Zawawi, A. A., Zakaria, Z., Kamarunzaman, N. Z., Noordin, N., Sawal, M. Z. H. M., Junos, N. M.,& Najid, N. S. A. (2011). The study of barrier factors in knowledge sharing: A case study in public university. Management Science and Engineering, 5(1), 59-70.

Zhang, J., & Dawes, S. S. (2006). Expectations and perceptions of benefits, barriers, and success in public sector knowledge networks. Public Performance & Management Review, 29(4), 433-466.