The challenges of Knowledge Sharing in intercultural organizations’ with specific to multinational companies in India.

Abstract

In the prevailing ever-changing business environment, knowledge has become the single certain source for sustainable competitive advantage. It is generally agreed upon that knowledge sharing is a crucial process within the organizational settings, whether these are project teams, formal work groups or communities of practice. Many practitioners and academics assume that since knowledge sharing is crucial for achieving the collective outcome, people will share knowledge as part of their work requirements. However, many companies and institutions have experienced that knowledge sharing does not always happen in practice, regardless whether a person-to-person or a person-to-document strategy is followed. This study investigated possible causes of resistance or support by knowledge workers to the sharing of knowledge within a diverse organization. Research draws from positivist perspective and adopts a method of quantitative study. Data was collected through survey and document analysis. The data were deductively analyzed and the findings are presented and discussed using references to the literature that informed the study. Leaders of businesses can use the findings of this study to develop new processes and procedures for overcoming resistance to knowledge sharing, which might translate to increased productivity and competitive advantage.