Title: Knowledge sharing through informal networking: an overview and agenda

Authors: Michael Schwartz; Christoph Hornych

Addresses: Department of Urban Economics, Halle Institute for Economic Research, P.O. Box 110361, 06017 Halle (Saale), Germany. ' Department of Urban Economics, Halle Institute for Economic Research, P.O. Box 110361, 06017 Halle (Saale), Germany; Department of Economics, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Universitätsring 3, 06108 Halle (Saale), Germany

Abstract: Informal inter-organisational networks provide manifold opportunities to organise the transfer of information, knowledge and technology between actors. The importance of informal networks as channel of knowledge transfer is widely acknowledged by academics and practitioners. However, there is a significant lack of discussion on their theoretical foundations and systematic empirical research on the origins, dynamics and effects of informal networking. The objective of this paper is threefold. First, we review the fragmented academic discussion of the notion of informal networking, thereby focusing on how these relationships emerge initially and what conditions (presumably) are required to make them a mutually fruitful and sustainable channel of the transfer of information and knowledge. Second, we give an up-to-date overview over most important and recent studies trying to disentangle the mechanisms of inter-organisational informal networking. Finally, we outline an agenda of future research directions that we encourage researchers to pursue in future empirical studies. Overall, six important research gaps are identified.

Keywords: informal networking; information trading; knowledge transfer; knowledge sharing; knowledge-based environment; inter-organisational networks; research gaps.

DOI: 10.1504/IJKBD.2011.042520

International Journal of Knowledge-Based Development, 2011 Vol.2 No.3, pp.282 - 294

Received: 25 Sep 2010
Accepted: 01 Feb 2011

Published online: 28 Nov 2014 *

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