Influences on the performance of organizational knowledge transfer

Knowledge is a resource and an important asset that organizations leverage to attain their goals. In a competitive environment, efficient and effective transfer of knowledge within the firm is a strategic imperative. In each organization a system through which knowledge flows, arises by design and enactment. Like other resources, knowledge resources should flow to where they are needed, when they are needed. The flow of knowledge resources depends upon contextual characteristics of both the organization and the knowledge itself. This dissertation investigates characteristics that affect the internal flow of organizational knowledge between departments and types of employees. The study of knowledge transfer lies within the domain of knowledge management, linking strategy, organization theory and organizational cognition research. Effective knowledge management systems enhance strategy implementation and help maximize returns on organizational knowledge. These systems can offer the firm competitive advantage in speed and navigability. Knowledge management has broad theoretical scope. For this research, I draw upon theory concerning business policy and strategy (the resource-based view of the firm, competitive advantage, strategic orientation), organizational theory and cognition (bounded rationality, organizational knowledge, event management, sensemaking), information technology (media richness, communication technology) and epistemology (critical naturalism). I offer a testable model that describes how (a) departmental membership influences; (b) strategic orientation, locus of attention, communication media, sources of meaning and perceived knowledge impedance characteristics that affect; (c) knowledge discernment behavior to determine; (d) the performance of organizational knowledge transfer. The theory offers managers a somewhat rational approach to understanding and manipulating knowledge flows in order to alter the performance of knowledge assets in their firm.