Title: Pitfalls in effective knowledge management: insights from an international information technology organisation

Authors: Kalle Koivisto; Toni Taipalus

Addresses: Faculty of Information Technology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland ' Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland

Abstract: Knowledge is vital for organisations, but effective knowledge management remains a challenge. Despite the acknowledged importance of knowledge sharing and management, many organisations struggle to harness their knowledge effectively, leading to cooperation issues and the loss of valuable insights when employees leave. This study, based on interviews with 50 employees in a large international IT company, aims to identify and address hindering factors that impede knowledge sharing and management. It reveals a significant gap between the perceived importance of knowledge management and its practical implementation. The study identifies 44 hindering factors in various categories. Recommendations for mitigating these obstacles include offering training and guidelines to improve employee actions. These findings benefit knowledge-intensive organisations by informing strategies to enhance performance.

Keywords: knowledge management; software development; hindering factors; knowledge sharing; information systems; challenge.

DOI: 10.1504/IJKMS.2025.146084

International Journal of Knowledge Management Studies, 2025 Vol.16 No.1, pp.27 - 60

Received: 27 Oct 2023
Accepted: 11 Dec 2024
Published online: 06 May 2025 *

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