Organizational culture and knowledge transfer in project-based organizations: Theoretical insights from a Chinese construction firm

Abstract

We conducted an empirical investigation of the impact that three main elements of organizational culture – artifacts, norms, and shared beliefs – have on the transfer of knowledge across projects in a project-based organization. Employing a single case study research design, we collected and analyzed rich and detailed information from documentation, archival data, and in-depth semistructured interviews with very experienced project managers of a Chinese construction firm. Our findings advance extant research on how the interplay between corporate-level organizational culture and cultural elements at lower organizational levels influences individual choices on (1) which types of knowledge are most important to transfer, (2) under which conditions knowledge may be shared or hoarded, and (3) the extent to which it is acceptable to share or hoard knowledge. The study also contributes to the literature on the legitimacy of knowledge by showing how organizational culture influences people's perceptions of “knowledge authority” and shapes their preferences for specific knowledge transfer mechanisms.