Overcoming Barriers To Knowledge Flow: Evidence-Based Attributes Enabling The Creation, Mobilization, and Diffusion of Knowledge

Abstract

The way in which organizations manage the knowledge that underlies their capabilities can be a powerful tool in explaining their behavior and competitiveness. While much research in knowledge management has illuminated the understanding of knowledge management, little is understood about the attributes of implementing a system that helps to create, mobilize and diffuse knowledge. Aiming at narrowing this gap, our research examines the experiences of a major oilfield services company in transforming itself to overcome a hierarchical knowledge flow to support its operations in the oil fields by putting into operation a system that facilitates the creation, mobilization and diffusion of knowledge in the technical service delivery process. By adopting the Abductive Strategy, and utilizing the means-end model with its laddering technique, the study reveals the attributes in operationalizing "InTouch", the system that supports the process.