Knowledge sharing barriers in global teams

Abstract

PurposeThe creation of offshore units allows companies to invest in countries that offer tax incentives, and provides global presence. Nevertheless, knowledge sharing in global teams may be challenger. The aim of this paper is to analyze the barriers of knowledge sharing in global teams.Design/methodology/approachThis is a qualitative research based on interviews in two firms.FindingsThe interviewees confirmed the relevance of the barriers to knowledge sharing identified in the literature. The interviewees also cited other four barriers: technology, professional skills, cost and methodology of software development. Other results were: the relationship between the barriers, for example, cultural differences are negatively related to absorptive capacity; and, the barriers could also be enablers for knowledge sharing.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations identified were: the use the interview as the only form of data collection, since the firms did not authorize the collection of documents; the interviews were conducted in two ways, in person for those residing in the same city as the researchers and via Skype® for those who were in another city; the findings are based on two case studies of two different firms and are not generalizable.Originality/valueThis research offers a new perspective and a better understanding of the interaction and relationships among knowledge sharing barriers. The results of this research may be useful for academics and organizations because they deepen the discussion on knowledge sharing in global teams, and also show the reality of two organizations in the technology sector in relation to this subject.