The “global” and the “local” in knowledge management
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to unravel the complexities associated with knowledge sharing in large global organizations through a field study carried out in a large, multinational company (Du Pont), focusing on the critical issues, concrete practices, bottle‐necks, and constraints in knowledge sharing. The tension between “local” production of much of the knowledge and its globalizing is specifically addressed.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative analysis based on a detailed case study of the knowledge‐sharing practices in two business units, two functional areas (R&D and engineering project management) in four countries.
Findings
Focus on certain types of organizational knowledge to the exclusion of others can be counter‐productive. Knowledge management (KM) systems need to be integrative and flexible enough to facilitate the dynamic interplay between different forms of knowledge across the space and time.
Research limitations/implications
The results of a case study are somewhat limited in terms of their generalizablity.
Practical implications
The insights from the study offer useful guidelines for designing systems and processes for sharing and managing knowledge in large, diversified organizations.
Originality/value
Most field‐based investigations into knowledge management tend to focus on specific KM projects. This is one of the few comprehensive studies that analyzed knowledge‐sharing practices and constraints at both local and global level in large organizations. It elucidates the key facilitators and inhibitors of knowledge sharing in such organizations.
Keywords
Citation
Davis, J.G., Subrahmanian, E. and Westerberg, A.W. (2005), "The “global” and the “local” in knowledge management", Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 9 No. 1, pp. 101-112. https://doi.org/10.1108/13673270510582992
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2005, Emerald Group Publishing Limited