Employee knowledge sharing in highly dispersed organizations

Abstract

Advances in information and communication technology have enabled contemporary organizations to become increasingly dispersed. Knowledge sharing among highly dispersed employees has been widely regarded as an organizational challenge that, if not dealt with properly, would affect the organization's competitive advantage. Based on the practice perspective of knowledge, this study aims to explore factors and mechanisms that facilitate or impede knowledge sharing among highly dispersed organizational employees. In this paper we analyze data collected from semi-structured interviews with twenty employees in a highly dispersed organization, to understand how employees share knowledge through their work practice in order to get work done. The methodology and data analysis plan is also described.