Knowledge transfer

In the Organizational development area of organizational learning, a practical problem is that of knowledge transfer, how to get some packet of knowledge, that exists in one part of the organization, into another (or all other) parts of the organization. It's more than just a communications problem. If it were merely that, then a memo, an e-mail or a meeting would accomplish the knowledge transfer.

Table of contents

1 Challenges 2 Process 3 Links 4 Also see

Challenges

What complicates knowledge transfer? There are many factors, including:

• geography
• language
• areas of expertise
• internal conflicts (e.g., professional territoriality)
• generational differences
• union-management relations
• incentives
• the use of visual representations to transfer knowledge (Knowledge visualization)

Process

• identifying the key knowledge holders within the organization
• motivating them to share
• designing a sharing mechanism to facilitate the transfer
• executing the transfer plan
• measuring to ensure the transfer
• applying the knowledge transferred

Links

• http://opensource.mit.edu/papers/Willpope.pdf

Also see

• Knowledge Management
• instructional theory