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The purpose of the paper is to report a study of knowledge sharing practices in the clinical research organization in a major pharmaceutical company. While knowledge sharing and knowledge transfer is often conceived of in terms of codification and storage in databases accessed through information technology, there is less experience in industry from working with knowledge sharing in face‐to‐face communication settings.

A collaborative research methodology including academic researchers, consultants and company representatives was used to examine and develop a knowledge‐sharing model. Interview and participative observations were used as data collection methods.

The study suggests that the use of so‐called knowledge facilitators, organizing and leading knowledge sharing seminars among clinical research teams, needs to develop the capacity to interrelate heedfully, that is, the dispositions to act with attentiveness, alertness, and care, to fully explore the insights, experiences, and know‐how generated in the clinical research teams. Heed precedes successful sharing of knowledge.

It is concluded that the literature on knowledge sharing needs to pay closer attention to the practices on the micro level in knowledge sharing, in the day‐to‐day collaborations between different professional groups.

The paper applies the concept of “heedful interrelation” in a practical knowledge management project in a major pharmaceutical company.

The present study aims to assess the effect of barriers and knowledge sharing facilitators on organisational innovation in Iraq. Fundamentally, this paper seeks to answer “whether knowledge sharing can improve organisational innovation in firms listed on the Iraq Stock Exchange”.

For the study, the research method is practical, in the form of an objective and descriptive survey. The study sample includes all financial managers of manufacturing companies listed on the Iraq Stock Exchange. The sampling method of the present study is based on Cochran comprising of 467 participants; a total number of 211 questionnaires were completed as the study's sample. This paper uses PLS tests to assess the effect of independent variables on dependent variables.

Results show that knowledge sharing barriers have no impact on the organisational innovation of firms listed on the Iraq Stock Exchange, but that knowledge sharing facilitators can enhance the organisational innovation of these firms.

This paper is the first study on the effect of barriers and knowledge sharing facilitators on organisational innovation of firms listed on the Iraq Stock Exchange, which is an emergent country with specific conditions (lack of specialised workforce and modern systematic infrastructure), therefore the results will provide helpful information that will contribute to the development of science and knowledge.

This study shows how 152 researchers from several research centers of a Portuguese university perceive the facilitators and barriers to knowledge management. Three domains are considered – knowledge gathering, creation, and diffusion. Three dimensions of barriers and facilitators were considered – individuals, socio‐organizational processes, and technology. Regarding both barriers and facilitators, but mainly barriers, the findings suggest that researchers are more sensitive to the “soft” aspects of knowledge management (i.e., individuals, socio‐organizational processes) than to the “hard” ones (i.e., technology). This suggests that, although technology is an important facilitator, it is people and their interactions that create knowledge and promote the knowledge flow.

The paper aims to identify and discuss barriers and facilitators to four processes implied in knowledge management (KM; acquisition, creation, sharing, and transfer). Technological, socio‐organizational, and individual barriers and facilitators are considered.

A literature review was carried out. Four databases (ISI Web of Science, EBSCO, Emerald, and ProQuest) were used for identifying relevant papers. The search covered the time period between January 1985 and August 2010.

Factors affecting the four KM processes involve some form of social capital and the interaction between technology and users' needs and activities. In addition to technology and social capital variables, other factors such as leadership, performance‐oriented culture, training and development practices, and T‐shaped skills emerged as relevant for KM processes. The authors conclude that KM thrives in positive organizational contexts and fails when the infrastructure establishing positive contexts is absent.

A hybrid positive approach (adopting the “positive deviance” lens of positive organizational scholarship without neglecting the negative features of organizational life) is adopted. The authors argue that the strategies to fight negative features of organizational life for improving KM processes are potentially different from those seeking to promote positive qualities with the same aim. A fruitful perspective for studying and improving KM processes may be to look for the constructive tension emerging from positive and negative features of organizational life. In short: only by advancing positivity and removing negativity may KM flourish.

As human resource management (HRM) and knowledge management are still new areas of research, if we assume the co‐existence of strategic integration, and devolution of HRM responsibilities to line managers, then we can see that an organisation's strategic intent could be to maximise the contribution of employee's knowledge and skills, through creating competitive advantage by utilising human capital. The challenge of “capturing” employee's tacit knowledge, to facilitate its transfer into organisational competence for today's organisations remains paramount. Competitive business pressures are leading to streamlined organisational structures, flatter management layers, adoption of team‐working processes and employee empowerment, which offers line managers a key role in contributing to strategic HRM outcomes by encouraging knowledge sharing in teams. Reviews and discusses the impact of such devolved HR responsibilities on the role of line managers. Intends to: explore the role of line managers facilitating creation and transfer of tacit knowledge in teams; summarise barriers concerning the transfer of tacit knowledge between individuals and teams; and finally outline the importance of developing line managers as facilitators. Aims to construct an agenda outlining future research in this field.

This paper explores the themes and implications, concerning the role of the supervisor as a facilitator of knowledge sharing in teams. After describing the strategic context for devolving human resource responsibilities to line managers, the paper defines and discusses the line manager/supervisor role. The barriers to learning in the workplace are considered. It is suggested that supervisors, through their devolved responsibility for people (which, by implication, includes learning and development) have an influence as facilitators promoting knowledge sharing within their teams. The paper examines whether the supervisor's intervention as a facilitator, could provide the important link leading to the sharing of individual and collective tacit knowledge in teams.

In the context of Saudi Arabia, this chapter investigates how clustering promotes knowledge sharing and transfer in an emerging, government-directed industry cluster. It is determined that lateral actors play a key facilitating role, and formal and informal mechanisms and interpersonal links among actors support that cluster knowledge exchange. Limited social capital strength and depth and a lack of trust that prevents knowledge sharing are partially explained by the cluster's limited vertical and horizontal actors.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between several perceptional and behavioral determinants of employees’ knowledge sharing. Based on the conceptual model of the current research, individuals’ learning orientation was theorized as playing a mediating role in the influences of employees’ satisfaction and organizational commitment on knowledge sharing in the Korean retail service industry.

To analyze variable relationships, a total of 868 cases, collected from the Korean retail service industry, were used. Structural equation modeling was used for analyzing structural influential relationships among the variables.

One of the most important findings is that learning orientation is the key factor influencing knowledge sharing. More specifically, the analysis demonstrated that job satisfaction and organizational commitment have a significant influence on knowledge sharing only through learning orientation in terms of its mediating effect. In other words, learning orientation is a facilitator enhancing knowledge sharing through motivation and intention. The findings of this study have theoretical implications. In addition, an individual’s job satisfaction and organizational commitment could lead to a more active learning orientation and eventually could enhance knowledge-sharing activities.

The findings show that learning orientation is the key factor influencing knowledge sharing. In other words, learning orientation is a facilitator enhancing knowledge sharing through motivation and intention. These findings provide practical implications for practitioners who attempt to promote knowledge sharing among employees.

Most studies have considered the variables of job satisfaction and employee commitment as outcome variables. However, in the research, this paper founds that satisfied and committed employees could be the most critical influencers for organization performance and knowledge improvement.

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to present the empirical findings from a case study in knowledge sharing with the aim of understanding knowledge sharing in a strategic context through a socio‐technical approach. Design/methodology/approach – Knowledge sharing facilitators and barriers were examined in a UK owned multinational engineering organisation. A total of 20 semi‐structured interviews were conducted and analysed using a combination of matrix and template analysis. Findings – The paper highlights leadership, organisational, and individual factors that are perceived to impact knowledge sharing. Furthermore, three sub‐factors: trust, individual motivation and geographical location, are discussed as double‐edged factors, i.e. their impact on knowledge sharing is complex in that they may act as both barriers and enablers. Research limitations/implications – The main limitation of this study is that it is conducted in a single organisational context. A second case study is currently being analysed to explore knowledge sharing in a different context within the same organisation. Practical implications – A balanced approach to knowledge management practices is emphasised where both technical and social aspects are taken into account. Originality/value – This paper provides important contributions. First, it emphasises the impact of strategic change on knowledge sharing as one aspect of the organisational knowledge management. Second, it frames knowledge sharing within a socio‐technical approach. Third, it provides us with empirical evidence through our use of case study in an organisational setting.

This paper aims to evaluate the influence of different factors on knowledge donation and collection. The examined factors are among those determinants which comprise different aspects of knowledge sharing behaviour in an organisational context.

Based on the widely accepted theory of planned behaviour (TPB), we tried to develop a comprehensive model. The model covered different individual and organisational factors. Responses to a total of 502 questionnaires were considered. Structural equation modelling was then used to test the research model and hypotheses.

This research evaluated the influence of a series of potential factors on knowledge sharing behaviour. While perceived self‐efficacy and anticipated reciprocal relationships had a positive impact on attitude toward knowledge sharing, expected extrinsic rewards did not show a significant relationship with this variable. Organisational climate had a positive impact on subjective norms about knowledge sharing. In addition, the level of information and communication technology usage reflected a positive effect on knowledge sharing behaviour. Finally, significant relationships were found between the TPB elements.

This paper has tried to provide a comprehensive understanding about knowledge sharing facilitators in the oil industry. Since there was a lack of such research in an Iranian context, this paper can provide theoretical basis for future researches as well as practical implications for managers and practitioners.