A Study on Knowledge Sharing in Distributed Environment
This exploratory study aims to investigate issues that, according to the Nonaka's theoretical model, are believed to hold significant ramifications on the effectiveness of creating and sharing organizational knowledge among distributed workers. These include changes in accessibility of knowledge with different levels of implicity, and the choice of communication media as a knowledge management channel. Related data were gathered from distributed-workers in Japan through interviews and a survey questionnaire. Data analysis revealed changes in the dynamics of internal and external interactivity, in the accessibility of necessary knowledge, and in the reliance on electronic media for knowledge exchange. The findings' implications are discussed from the perspective of knowledge creation ana sharing, and further suggestions have been made for the direction of future research efforts.