What is knowledge sharing and why people resist to share knowledge?

Knowledge Sharing depends mainly  on Culture as Knowledge Management  developed  Communities of Practice (Wenger, 1998) became popular, even dominant , Soon it was supplemented with storytelling interventions encouraging knowledge workers to use stories to both  sell  internally, share knowledge and facilitate collaboration.

More recently, Social Networking Analysis such as Bayt , LinkedIn…etc  is being used to discover the structure of relationship in existing communities , but some type of cultures resists knowledge sharing process because they didn't realize the importance of Knowledge Sharing as a part of Critical Success Factor in the implementation of Knowledge Management on organizational and personal level.

The inexistence of Knowledge Sharing Culture in our communities, might refer to many factors one of the most challenging barriers hindering knowledge sharing wider adoption is people need to trust each other for knowledge sharing to happen spontaneously and efficiently, but in Arab region, people basically do not trust each other, and, the knowledge that they each possess. People are also lack of confidence to share and exchange expertise. Another factor is the fear of being penalized when share an article or literature from Google or electronic library  . This, perhaps, should be considered the most challenging barrier to wider implementation of  Knowledge sharing yet many people think that if they share knowledge and make their opinions openly available to others, they will lose out in some way, typically, that will either be in terms of losing their personal competitiveness the argument in favour of keeping what you know to yourself to enhance their own value or the risk of incurring criticism from colleagues or people  for speaking out freely. It is much better, on balance, to stay silent. Perhaps that is why people are so reluctant to contribute to new ideas or to criticize openly  as social norms. 

Thank you. I agree with Mrs. Ghada's answer. At some point fear and compliance to rules are some of the driving factors especially in Middles East why people choose not to practice knowledge sharing quite often as they want to. And also fear of being defeated. 

Thanks. I agree with Ms. Ghada's detailed answer. 

It is vital for our species because we all have the urge to improve. Humans are explorers. We can't hang still on a branch and wait until next dinner time, we want to go out and do stuff. Do be able to improve we have to gain new knowledge. So there is a choice: create all knowledge ourselves or 'trade' it. Learn from others and share what we know. It's a win-win situation.

 

The sharing of knowledge is not that easy , it requires a lot of investment of the person who wants to share them. knowledge is not necessarily scientific, mathematical , computer ... it can be a lesson off life, a way to learn quickly , one way to optimize knowledge and even the recipe for a pie. To me, people do not like to share their knowledge because they are afraid; They want to be the best, and see that if you learn what they now, you will be for sure better. It is selfishness and a behavior that proves their knowledge ultimately does not matter.

Plus what has been said, we live in the knowledge era where the most important item is information and knowledge, how ever there is tacit knowledge which gained and stored as experience that only that person can make use of it. Knowledge sharing is to transform that tacit knowledge to explicit form to be used by many other persons. One of the more resistance causes is the fear of being better or more expericed than me, but it depends mainly on the personality of that person and the knowledge management policy in the organization as well.

Basm allah alrahman alrahim

 

I think fear from losing our jobs , and thats strange , if you fear from losing your job why don't you share knowledge at bayt for example , well some of your colleagues in your work will see that and became more stronger than you , or do you a fraid to say something not right and you look like not a profficinal person , I like to try to answer even if this answer is wronge , why ? because some one will say the right answer and I will learn from my wronge answer , but if I am a fraid from not answering I will not learn

 

becarful try to search before you answer first .

by the way if some one from bayt developers see this question and answer he will understand that we want a new button for update the answers because some times we answer wronge and we want to correct the answers ( e.g stack exchange network website do so )

 

and there is a hidding factor I am so afraid to tell about it , and most of us know this factor by nature , we feel this factor in our life , we see this factor in middel east every day , like what happening in iraq , soria , yaman , libya , from outside and inside and what happing for the rest of arab world from inside

Thank you for the invitation and I agree with Dr. Ghada

Knowledge sharing is very important for progress of science. Knowledge sharing helps you to learn and to get feedback from those more skilled or whith a different set of competences. Some people resist to share knowledge because of the notion that knowledge is property, power - therefore, becomes very important. But, it's selfish.

 

Thank you for the invitation and thank you very much for the question and answer Alastadh agreed with Ghada

Thank you for inviting me to answer your question

It is my point of view is the knowledge management (KM) is critical for organizations today. And reduce the documentation process and knowledge sharing opportunity for the Organization fails to become effective. James Quinn explains that "knowledge is the new base energy generate the modern company relies most valuable products and services primarily on how to develop a knowledge-based mystery.

Therefore, the importance of knowledge in the following:

1. Technology no longer provide a competitive advantage because everyone owned and used. However knowledge can provide the competitive advantage of continuously if they kept constantly on the knowledge base and enhance the knowledge and activities

2. Another characteristic distinction between data, information and knowledge, a mode of transport. Where data and information can be transferred through information technology.

3. Allows excellent knowledge of the data and study information technology as a separate entity. He knew all of the Lafa and Leander 2001 knowledge in five different areas:

(1) state of mind - the knowledge from experience

 

(2) object- something is stored and used

 

(3) process - knowledge as a result of inaction or complacency

 

(4) the requirement to obtain information - easy access to information

 

(5) the ability - the ability to influence the upcoming action.

Currently regulatory projects designed to gain knowledge, which often focuses primarily on explicit information. The problem arises when it is seen as an object of knowledge that exists outside individuals. Organizations and reduce much of the importance of this fact, which says that knowledge is useless without the "knower."

And thank you for your reading