Facilitating knowledge transfer in organizations

This study used qualitative methods to explore how individuals in one organization facilitate the transfer of knowledge. Ten individuals, eight business counselors and two business center directors were interviewed for the study. These individuals provided data about how they solved challenging problems, how they obtained the knowledge they needed to solve those problems, and what they did with new knowledge they obtained. Data were also obtained through observation of a staff meeting, a client database, and collection of documents from each business center.; The findings showed that knowledge was primarily obtained through the work experience, past and current, of staff members. Positive relationships among staff in each center also contributed to obtaining knowledge because staff members relied on each other as information sources. And personal networks of contacts that each counselor developed through their past work experience and in the course of performing their job also contributed to obtaining knowledge. Limited data were available on how staff stored knowledge and the conclusion developed that there was limited storage of data or knowledge. The facilitators of knowledge transfer that emerged in this study developed into five general conclusions. Three of these related to communities-of-practice, positive relationships, socialization and collaboration among center staff. Additionally, it was shown that few organizational processes and routines were used to transfer knowledge and that managers could positively influence knowledge transfer practices among staff.