Affiliated Organization
University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
Abstract
The paradox of organizing knowledge is that organizational initiatives to ameliorateprocesses of knowledge sharing may evoke adverse effects to such an extent that these initiatives turnagainst themselves. With the purpose of promoting greater awareness, both in theory and practice, forhow this paradox can act out in real life, this article reports on an ethnographic study performed in adistributed, knowledge intensive ICT company. It gives an in-depth account of the introduction ofvirtual communities in this organization and what happened afterwards. Like most knowledgemanagement actions, virtual communities intend to integrate knowledge that is dispersed throughoutthe organization. How can it be that such attempts become a major obstacle to their formation?
Volume
6
Issue
17
Recommended Citation
Dirksen, Vanessa; Huizing, Ard; and Smit, Bas, " The Paradox of Organizing Knowledge" (2008). All Sprouts Content. 135.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/sprouts_all/135