Knowledge Sharing for Competitive Advantage

How do you share knowledge in order to provide a possible sustainable competitive advantage?

Knowledge sharing is the process through which tacit and explicit knowledge is exchanged among friends, organizations or communities. Research has shown that knowledge is one of the greatest invaluable assets for a company. It is the company's greatest intangible resource. If knowledge is used appropriately, then it can act as a competitive advantage. As a long term competitive advantage tool, sharing of knowledge enables the company to move faster in achieving the set targets. This is the case because the members will require fewer meetings and hence they will waste less time as they search for the information that they need. Organizations that have good knowledge sharing habits perform greatly, and they require a smaller team since there is no information barrier.

On the other hand, companies that have poor knowledge sharing habits tend to hire more and more employees, and they never seem to increase the total output or their performance. One of the most considerable significances of knowledge sharing is that companies do not lose out when the more experienced workforce retire or decide to leave. Where the is adequate sharing of knowledge, the experienced tend to share their knowledge with the new teammates and thus prepare them for bigger positions with huge knowledge on how to solve problems in the company. It is therefore paramount for firms to encourage knowledge sharing through embracing socialization at the workplace, encouraging collaboration instead of hierarchy and through encouraging dialogues.

Knowledge will be either embedded or embodied inside an organisation but what are the characteristics of these?

Embodied knowledge is also known as instinctive knowledge involves knowledge where the body knows how to act. For example, riding a bicycle is embodied knowledge. For those who know how to ride a bicycle, they do it without deliberation. Embodied knowledge doesn’t involve procedures represented in one’s mind. Instead, it seems to be knowledge imprinted in an individual’s body. This type of knowledge is executed as habits, tasks, and routines. It builds upon practical experience, and it is strongly automatic. Embodied knowledge is also visible where an individual knows and understands how to operate machine systems in a company.

On the other hand, embedded knowledge refers to knowledge which is locked in products, processes, culture, structures or artifacts. Knowledge can be embedded either formally or informally. In formal terms, this involves where the main management initiative is to formalize a given beneficial routine. In informal terms, it includes where the organization applies both tactic and explicit knowledge. Formalized routines are more comfortable to implement. The management actively tries to embed the lessons learned directly into routines, procedures, and products. Although it is challenging to manage embedded knowledge effectively, companies that have successfully implemented this type of knowledge enjoy the competitive advantage. In conclusion, embedded knowledge is visible in rules, processes, code of conduct, ethics, etc. It is also important to note that although embedded knowledge may exist in explicit sources, the knowledge isn’t explicit