The Passion for Knowledge: implications for its Transfer

Abstract

Research into knowledge sharing has mainly treated knowledge from an instrumental, market-driven perspective. On this view, research has focused on the psychological (e.g. motivation), cognitive (e.g. absorptive capacity) and social features (e.g. weak/strong ties) of the knowledge entities, the structural (formal or informal) characteristics of the organizational context and the nature of knowledge to be transferred (such as its stickiness and causal complexity). The present study seeks to suggest passion as a contingency that impacts the knowledge transfer process positively. Passion for knowledge may constitute a social bond that holds a community together. Passionate members are inclined to share their object of passion—knowledge—more readily. Our argument is based on information elicited from a number of scientific experts within the petrol industry. In their daily work, experts regard the transfer of knowledge as sine qua non of becoming expert, as interactions with others are (i) learning opportunities for themselves and (ii) as social occasions to relate to their peers and on to talk about and share stories about the object to their passion (knowledge). The contribution of the paper is thus to suggest emotional aspects (passion, attachment and interest) related to knowledge as a factor that impacts the transfer of knowledge. Finally, conclusions and implications are discussed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.