Subtleties of knowledge sharing—Results from a case study within management consultancy

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to explore the actualisation of knowledge sharing and learning amongst organisational actors in an international management consultancy enterprise. The article argues for an understanding of knowledge sharing as an everyday practice that goes beyond the idea of knowledge sharing as a matter of customisation and codification. The research is designed as an explorative case study based on empirical data collected from semistructured interviews, company documents, and the use of photos. Our analysis follows a two‐pronged analytical strategy for the interpretation of the collected data, employing inductive reasoning in the search for recurrent themes. We show that the circumstances of knowledge sharing and learning in the studied case are shaped by the local time and space arrangements of the work, and that practices of knowledge and learning are closely linked to the consultants' everyday consultancy experiences and practices. Overall, we consider knowledge sharing and learning in organisations as informal and dynamic processes combined with concrete work situations. Our article provides insights that encourage organisations to enhance their focus on how to build theories and practices on knowledge sharing and learning in organisations, taking into account the local organisation of work and everyday experiences. Through a pragmatist‐inspired approach, the interrelatedness of knowledge, learning, and work or practice is key to understanding processes of knowledge sharing and learning, so that organisations and societies can become more receptive in responding to challenges confronting today's knowledge economy.