Enabling Factors for Knowledge Sharing among Employees in the Workplace

This chapter investigates enabling factors that promote knowledge sharing among employees in the workplace. The study was conducted on employees of Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) as a research case. Banks in particular and financial institutions in general are now becoming knowledge intensive organizations where knowledge is used as a key strategic resource to achieve their business goals as well as competitive advantage. This study uses an exploratory case study research method that allows deeper understanding and interpretation. Although there is plenty of literature on knowledge sharing, existing findings are not consistent due to the influence of contextual factors on knowledge sharing. This study identifies organizational, individual, task characteristics, and technological factors as main enabling factors that promote knowledge sharing in the workplace. Although organizations put much emphasis on technology to promote knowledge sharing in the workplace, non-technological factors (organizational and individual factors) appear more significant. As the study was conducted on a commercial bank within developing economies context, it contributes additional perspectives to confirm or extend existing findings on knowledge sharing.