Knowledge Sharing Between Individuals

As Peter Drucker (2000) has pointed out, the foundation of the 21st century organization is no longer money or capital or even technology; it is knowledge. In order for that knowledge to create value, it must be shared. Some discussions of knowledge sharing in organizations and, indeed, some knowledge management initiatives seem to assume that given the right technology and/or the proper culture, knowledge will flow readily throughout the firm. Technologies that facilitate knowledge sharing (e.g., databases, intranets, and groupware) currently exist and are constantly improving. But technologies are only part of the knowledge management equation. In 1997, the Ernst and Young Center for Business Innovation conducted a study of 431 U.S. and European organizations (Ruggles, 1998). Of those responding, only 13% rated their organizations as good or excellent at sharing knowledge internally. Even when knowledge was accessible, only 30% reported that their organizations were good or excellent at using that knowledge in making decisions. When asked what was the biggest obstacle to knowledge sharing within their organizations, 54% cited culture. To understand knowledge sharing within an organization, we must look beyond culture and start with the individual.