The
organizational culture ranges from family or team styles to dictatorship or even
anarchy. The culture may determine whether informal or formal norms will guide
activities, including such issues as communication processes and dress codes. As
Safdie and Edwards consider knowledge sharing as ???a culture, not a system??? (1998,
p. S2); and this culture must encourage ideas, encourage knowledge sharing, and
reward innovation (???Net Results,??? 2000). The assumptions also include the climate
of the organization. An open climate fosters the sense of creativity and innovation
among individuals, where people feel free to ask questions, suggest changes, and
brainstorm alternatives. In contrast, a closed or defensive climate stifles communication
and reduces interaction, as people spend psychic energy protecting themselves
from real or perceived threats if they step out of bounds (Beck, 1999). An open
environment that stimulates intellectual creativity has been termed an information
ecology (Abell, 2000), which increases both individual and corporate capability.
Effective knowledge sharing requires an environment that respects individuals
(DeTienne & Jackson, 2001) and enhances the information literacy of an organization
as essential underpinnings for knowledge sharing and for learning organization
practices (Oman, 2001).
Pages:
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505