Barriers of Knowledge in an Organization

Knowledge in an organization is vast. Sharing of the same knowledge by the employees is a problem that undermines the organization efficiency and effectiveness. Knowledge is hidden in different ways, for example, evasive hiding, playing dumb and rationalized hiding. To get rid of this problem, one must understand the reasons why the knowledge is not shared.People always find reasons why they should not share their knowledge. Some of the reasons are deep rooted in the organization’s structure, and others are embedded in the individual. It is believed knowledge is power and hence a person who knows something will always have an advantage over the one that does not know. This culture can be borrowed from the education system whereby one is not allowed to share information during exams. The culture is then carried to the professional world as an employee.

Some of the organizations do not understand the level of importance of the knowledge they hold. They assume the knowledge known to them is common hence ignoring the fact that they should share. Not having an enabling environment of trust among the employees plays a significant role in information sharing. Working together to solve problems and discuss improvements is vital in strengthening trust among the employees. Organizations cultures and policy may inhibit information sharing. Rewarding of individual employees creates pear to pear competition rather than rewarding teams. People paid for individual performance share information least; the people rewarded for team performance share more; the people rewarded for company performance share most (Hislop, D. 2005). In conclusion, it is evident that the level of management in an organization is crucial.

References

Hislop, D. (2005). Knowledge management in organizations: A critical introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.