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Knowledge sharing is the corner‐stone of many organisations’ knowledge‐management (KM) strategy. Despite the growing significance of knowledge sharing's practices for organisations’ competitiveness and market performance, several barriers make it difficult for KM to achieve the goals and deliver a positive return on investment. This paper provides a detailed review of current KM and related literatures on a large number of possible knowledge‐sharing barriers with the purpose of offering a more comprehensive and structured starting‐point for senior managers when auditing their organisation's current knowledge base and knowledge‐sharing requirements.

This article reviews and discusses over three dozen potential knowledge‐sharing barriers, categorising them into three main domains of recently published works: individual/personal, organisational, and technological barriers.

The extensive list of knowledge sharing barriers provides a helpful starting point and guideline for senior managers auditing their existing practices with a view to identifying any bottle‐necks and improving on the overall effectiveness of knowledge‐sharing activities.

Managers need to realise, however, that a particular knowledge sharing strategy or specific managerial actions will not suit all companies and that there are differences to be expected between MNCs and SMEs, private, public sector, and not‐for‐profit organisations. As such, the implementation of knowledge‐sharing goals and strategies into an organisation's strategic planning and thinking will vary greatly.

The main discussion of this paper brings together a large range of knowledge‐ sharing barriers in an attempt to indicate the complexity of knowledge sharing as a value‐creating organisational activity.

The paper aims at identifying knowledge sharing barriers and enablers in an interorganizational setting at different levels of units. For this purpose, the interorganizational setting of Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit project in Pakistan is examined.

This study adopts an exploratory single case study approach. The empirical data comprise semi-structured interviews and archival documents. Thematic analysis is used for analyzing the data.

The findings identify distinct knowledge sharing barriers and enablers at different level of units (individual, team, organizational and interorganizational). Based on the findings, an integrative framework of knowledge sharing barriers, enablers, and levels of units is proposed. Furthermore, the findings provide guidance to managers as the findings show how different knowledge sharing barriers and enablers are important at different levels of units.

This study novelty lies in determining separate sets of knowledge sharing barriers and enablers at different level of units in an interorganizational project. This study contributes to the literature on knowledge sharing by studying an interorganizational project.

The creation of offshore units allows companies to invest in countries that offer tax incentives, and provides global presence. Nevertheless, knowledge sharing in global teams may be challenger. The aim of this paper is to analyze the barriers of knowledge sharing in global teams.

This is a qualitative research based on interviews in two firms.

The interviewees confirmed the relevance of the barriers to knowledge sharing identified in the literature. The interviewees also cited other four barriers: technology, professional skills, cost and methodology of software development. Other results were: the relationship between the barriers, for example, cultural differences are negatively related to absorptive capacity; and, the barriers could also be enablers for knowledge sharing.

The limitations identified were: the use the interview as the only form of data collection, since the firms did not authorize the collection of documents; the interviews were conducted in two ways, in person for those residing in the same city as the researchers and via Skype^® for those who were in another city; the findings are based on two case studies of two different firms and are not generalizable.

This research offers a new perspective and a better understanding of the interaction and relationships among knowledge sharing barriers. The results of this research may be useful for academics and organizations because they deepen the discussion on knowledge sharing in global teams, and also show the reality of two organizations in the technology sector in relation to this subject.

Changing customer demands, needs and desires; emerging technologies; and increasing competition among firms force software development teams to develop and then implement new software projects to satisfy their customers and become more competitive in their marketplace. In this respect, knowledge sharing is critical for project success. However, although knowledge sharing among team members has been investigated by many researchers, knowledge sharing barriers among people have rarely been addressed in project teams in general and software development teams in particular. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate knowledge sharing barriers in the software development team context and develop solutions that can overcome these barriers.

An exploratory multiple case design was used to explore why software team members in Turkey may be reluctant to share knowledge. In this study, the authors conducted 18 in-depth and on-site semi-structured interviews and then employed content analysis, which uses a set of procedures to make valid inferences from text, to discover knowledge sharing barriers.

By interviewing 18 Turkish project team managers, the authors identified knowledge-, individual- and organization-related knowledge sharing barriers among team members. They also demonstrated solutions for the knowledge sharing hesitation among team members based on the experiences of project team managers.

Some methodological limitations exist in this study. Specifically, the generalizability of the sampling limits the study, which was conducted in a specific national context, Turkish firms in general and the Istanbul district in particular. It is important to note that readers should be cautious when generalizing the results to different cultural contexts. In this regard, a Turkish sample involving the Istanbul district, like that of any culturally bound research, imposes some constraints on the interpretation and application of the results. The study was conducted with in-depth interviews of only 18 managers working in seven companies. Also, this study was performed on system development teams. The results should be confirmed with more samples and different project sets.

In this study, the authors discover the reasons for knowledge sharing reluctance among team members and some solutions that will eliminate knowledge sharing problems by using case studies. The results show that the reluctance of team members arises from obstacles, which are knowledge-, individual- and organization-related. Also, the conclusions demonstrate that knowledge sharing barriers can be resolved by establishing project leadership, creating a knowledge sharing culture and considering team members’ emotions.

The present study investigated whether reluctance to share knowledge derives not only from individual barriers but also from organization- and knowledge-related barriers in a project team context. The authors discovered that knowledge sharing barriers can be resolved by establishing project leadership, creating a knowledge sharing culture and considering team members’ emotions.

Focusing on the study of tacit knowledge sharing in nonprofit organizations (NPOs) in Portugal and taking as a case study the Portuguese voluntary firefighters, this study aims to identify the most relevant factors for sharing tacit knowledge and identify the types of barriers most prevalent to such sharing in these organizations.

A literature review on tacit knowledge sharing allowed the identification of indicators and barriers to the sharing of this knowledge. This was followed by a mixed methodology that combines qualitative and quantitative techniques through questionnaires and interviews, whose treatment allowed to determine the indicators that influence each of these factors and which types of barriers.

Three factors have been identified that lead to the sharing of tacit knowledge within these organizations: organizational culture, individual characteristics and organizational structure. Four typologies of barriers were identified: communicational, technological, personal and resource or infrastructure.

The present research focuses exclusively on the sharing of tacit knowledge, not considering other forms of knowledge. As a case study, although with heterogeneous organizations, the same cannot be replicated to different realities.

The investigation of the main factors and the main types of barriers that arise to the sharing of tacit knowledge in these organizations may serve as a basis for the creation of diagnostic and intervention tools.

Studies in this area targeting NPOs are scarce, as opposed to what is happening in the private and public sectors. The option of a case study of organizations such as the Portuguese fire brigades, unique in their action and identity, accompanies the need increasingly recognized by society, in enabling these organizations of competencies for the best possible performance, in the face of tragic events that have occurred in recent years in Portugal.

This paper aims to extend the theory relating to knowledge sharing barriers and enablers in the public sector information and communication technology (ICT) project context.

A case study method was used whereby project managers from each of the seven departments of the Victorian Public Sector in Australia were interviewed about their knowledge sharing practice. A semi-structured interview instrument based on Riege’s (2005) barrier framework was used to explore the barriers to knowledge sharing that they experienced as part of their work.

The study found that many of Riege’s (2005) barriers did not apply in the public sector ICT project environment, demonstrating that context matters. In addition, five enablers were identified, resulting in a new model of enablers and barriers to knowledge sharing in public sector ICT projects.

This study focuses on a single case, the Victorian Public Sector, and consequently the results are not generalisable. Future research should explore the applicability of the model in other public sector ICT project contexts.

The study highlights the relationship between knowledge sharing and the project manager and the role it plays in project delivery. The model presented provides a starting point for public sector practitioners to develop their knowledge sharing practice, potentially enhancing project outcomes in the process.

This study examines barriers to knowledge sharing in an under-researched context, that of the public sector ICT project environment. It builds on current theory and provides insights for practitioners in the public sector.

The purpose of this paper is to compare the effects of organizational and technological barriers to knowledge sharing between large and small firms through the lens of attribution theory.

The structural equation modeling approach was applied to estimate the conceptual model by using survey data from a list of Taiwan’s top 1,000 manufacturing and 500 service companies. A total of 229 valid questionnaires were collected.

The empirical results show that both organizational and technological barriers have relationships with an individual’s effort and ability with regard to knowledge sharing behavior. When organizational barriers occur, the perceived lack of effort has a direct effect on knowledge sharing behavior for large firms, while negative sharing behavior among employees of small firms is influenced by the perception of low ability through the perceived lack of effort.

A review of the literature reveals organizational and technological barriers that lead to the negative influences of internal attributions on knowledge sharing. This study, therefore, contributes to a comprehensive perspective on how to encourage knowledge sharing behavior at different sizes of firms.

This paper aims to build on existing theory of knowledge sharing barriers (KSBs) by exploring the concept in the relatively under-researched context of social service not-for-profit organisations.

In this study, case study methodology was used. Practitioner staff members took part in online questionnaires, followed by semi-structured interviews with line management and middle management staff. Secondary sources from the case study organisation were also used in the analysis. The analysis of questionnaire responses alongside responses from semi-structured interviews is compared with extant research into KSBs.

The findings of this study highlight the need to re-examine the KSBs identified in the literature to reflect contexts beyond the private sector. Common barriers were identified, but some found in the case study organisation did not neatly fit into the existing definitions of KSBs. An updated list of KSBs to reflect this social service not-for-profit context is presented.

Case studies are often not generalisable; however, the KSB list developed here could be further explored and tested in other third sector organisations.

The research raises the question of applicability of current knowledge management (KM) theory and lexicon in the third sector and social care environment.

This study provides an insight into KM applicability in a third sector context, which is a relatively under-developed research area.

Because selling innovative products is crucial to its livelihood, the pharmaceutical industry has a fundamental need to share knowledge to stimulate the process of knowledge creation. This study seeks to explore knowledge‐sharing enablers and barriers in pharmaceutical R&D.

A case study was carried out in a pharmaceutical company in Denmark. R&D professionals were asked to identify organizational enablers and barriers to knowledge sharing. Their accounts were processed as text during workshops. Data were condensed thematically. The analysis was combined with the conceptualization of tacit and explicit knowledge as proposed by Nonaka and Takeuchi.

The research shows that R&D professionals have different views and practices regarding engaging in knowledge sharing. This reveals that knowledge sharing is multi‐faceted and that one standard for R&D professionals does not exist. The enablers identified recognized the use of tacit knowledge. The existence of enablers and barriers with oppositional influence on knowledge‐sharing practices is evident. Furthermore, synergy is identified in the knowledge‐sharing enablers provided that the settings fostering personal closeness to colleagues are stimulated. Physical proximity to colleagues therefore has obvious influence on knowledge‐sharing practices.

This study was based on a single case study. The extent to which the findings can be generalized to other industries is unknown.

The findings have implications for R&D managers who must be aware of these professional diversities in order to enhance knowledge‐sharing practices. Attention should also be given to the synergies hidden in knowledge‐sharing enablers.

Focused implementation of enablers will increase knowledge‐sharing practices and minimize barriers.

The issue of varying stakeholder expectations has significant implications for successful enterprise information system implementation. This issue becomes more prevalent in e‐government situations where a variety of stakeholders are influenced by inter‐organizational knowledge sharing. This paper presents an exploratory investigation of the diverging and converging expectations of various stakeholders at the initiation of e‐government projects with regard to the benefits of and barriers to interorganizational knowledge sharing.

Survey data were collected from seven cases within the New York State (NYS) government setting. We identified two sets of stakeholder groupings in this paper; core/key project participants and general participants (similar to developer/user stakeholder groupings); and; various organizational participants (state government, local government, non‐profit organization, and private organization stakeholders).

Research results indicated that key participants' expectations were similar to those of general participants/users. Their perceptions converge on the relative likelihood of achieving benefits and relative severity of barriers; although significant differences do exist in discernment of the opportunity for achieving wider professional networks and the magnitude of control‐oriented management. Finally, we found significant differences among stakeholders groups based on the types of organizational membership. Local government stakeholders are considerably less optimistic in achieving goals, and more concerned about a variety of organizational, technological, and financial barriers.

The results provide guidance for e‐government design and implementation strategies that amplify common interests, contend with shared difficulties, and mitigate differences.