Journal article · 2014
Influence of cultural factors on knowledge sharing in medium-sized enterprises within transition economies
International Journal of Knowledge Management Studies, 5(3/4), pp. 304–321 · Published
Summary
Vajjhala and Baghurst (2014) interviewed 20 managers from ten medium-sized enterprises across five Albanian sectors in a qualitative, multisite, exploratory case study of how cultural factors influence employees’ perceptions of knowledge-sharing initiatives in transition economies. The interviews produced six themes showing that national and organizational culture shape employee participation in knowledge sharing. Of the managers, 85% said Albanian national culture influences employee behavior, 70% cited lack of trust as a key barrier, and 90% said top management support is essential.
Practical implication. Leaders of medium-sized firms in Albania should consider the influence of national and organizational culture before implementing knowledge-sharing initiatives and systems.
- The Problem
- Knowledge-sharing initiatives in transition-economy firms often stall, and the cultural factors behind employee participation in Albanian enterprises were not understood.
- The Methodology
- Qualitative multisite exploratory case study: 27-question open-ended interviews with 20 managers from ten medium-sized enterprises across five Albanian sectors, coded in NVivo 9 following Creswell’s procedure until six themes emerged.
- The Core Finding
- Interviews with 20 managers in ten Albanian medium-sized enterprises showed that national and organizational culture shape knowledge sharing: 85% said national culture influences employee behavior, 70% named lack of trust as a key barrier, and 90% said top management support is essential.
- The Citation
- Vajjhala, N. R., & Baghurst, T. (2014). Influence of cultural factors on knowledge sharing in medium-sized enterprises within transition economies. International Journal of Knowledge Management Studies, 5(3/4), 304–321. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJKMS.2014.067235
The summary, key findings, methods, implications and relevance notes on this page are this website’s own description of the paper, written from the published abstract and text. The official abstract and citation details are given further down.
Key findings
- Finding 1. The study interviewed 20 managers from ten medium-sized enterprises in Albania, a transition economy, across five sectors (ICT, food processing, banking and insurance, construction and tourism) that represent 72% of Albanian SMEs.
- Finding 2. Seventeen of the 20 Albanian managers (85%) said national culture influences employee knowledge-sharing behavior, and 16 (80%) said communism had a negative influence on Albanian culture.
- Finding 3. Fourteen of the 20 Albanian managers (70%) identified lack of trust as a key cultural barrier to knowledge sharing, and 12 (60%) said most Albanians hesitate to share knowledge.
- Finding 4. Eighteen of the 20 managers (90%) said top management support is essential for successful knowledge-sharing activities in Albanian medium-sized enterprises, and 16 (80%) highlighted the role of organizational culture.
- Finding 5. Nineteen of the 20 managers (95%) believed reward systems would motivate employees to take part in knowledge sharing, with 11 (55%) favoring non-monetary incentives such as recognition and career progression.
- Finding 6. Nine of the 20 managers (45%) reported perceived risks of knowledge sharing, chiefly fear of losing one’s job position, and 14 (70%) had observed age-based clustering among employees.
- Finding 7. Fourteen of the 20 managers (70%) viewed knowledge as organizational rather than individual property, and 13 (65%) said their firms lacked or underused information systems for knowledge sharing.
Source: Vajjhala & Baghurst (2014), International Journal of Knowledge Management Studies, 5(3/4), pp. 304–321. DOI: 10.1504/IJKMS.2014.067235
The study in detail
What question does this paper answer?
How do cultural factors influence employees’ perceptions of knowledge-sharing initiatives in medium-sized enterprises in transition economies such as Albania?
What did the study find, in detail?
Interviews with 20 managers from ten medium-sized Albanian enterprises produced six themes showing that national and organizational culture shape employee participation in knowledge sharing. 85% said Albanian national culture influences employee behavior, 80% said communism had a negative influence, 70% cited lack of trust as a key barrier, and 90% said top management support is essential.
Why does it matter?
Medium-sized firms in transition economies often adopt generic, Western-developed knowledge-sharing models without considering culture. The authors advise Albanian SME leaders to account for national culture, build a supportive organizational culture led by top management, introduce incentives and training, address fears and clustering, and adapt information systems to national and organizational cultural requirements rather than buying generic knowledge management systems.
This study is part of the evidence overview How does national culture shape knowledge sharing and collaboration in transition economies? Evidence from Albania
Methods and data
| Research question | How do cultural factors influence employees’ perceptions of knowledge-sharing initiatives in medium-sized enterprises in transition economies? |
|---|---|
| Design | Qualitative, multisite, exploratory case study with 27 open-ended interview questions refined through a pilot with five Albanian employees. |
| Sample | 20 mid- or top-level managers from ten medium-sized enterprises in Albania, two firms in each of five sectors: ICT, food processing, banking and insurance, construction and tourism. |
| Methods | Audio-recorded interviews (148 pages of transcripts) plus documents and field notes, coded in NVivo 9.0 following Creswell’s steps until six themes emerged. |
| Main result | Six themes: national culture, organizational culture, factors driving participation, perceived risks, knowledge as organizational property, and information systems for knowledge sharing. |
| Implication | Leaders of Albanian SMEs should consider national and organizational culture before implementing knowledge-sharing initiatives and systems. |
| Citation | Vajjhala & Baghurst (2014) · DOI 10.1504/IJKMS.2014.067235 |
Definitions and key terms
- Knowledge sharing
- The paper defines it as a process of capturing, organising and distributing knowledge gained from others or through years of work and personal experience. — as used in Vajjhala & Baghurst (2014)
- Transition economy
- A country gradually moving from a centralised command economy toward a free market economy, such as those in Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union and China. — as used in Vajjhala & Baghurst (2014)
- Medium-sized enterprise
- A firm in the medium size band of SMEs, identified in this study using the European Commission’s criteria. — as used in Vajjhala & Baghurst (2014)
Abstract
Knowledge sharing is subject to organisational and national cultural influences, but medium-sized firms often implement general knowledge-sharing models without considering cultural factors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of cultural factors on knowledge-sharing activities in medium-sized enterprises in transition economies. The study was driven by the central research question: How do cultural factors influence employees’ perceptions of knowledge-sharing initiatives in medium-sized enterprises in transition economies? Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 managers working in ten medium-sized enterprises in Albania, which is a transition economy. Six themes revealed the influence of cultural factors on employees’ perceptions of knowledge-sharing initiatives in medium-sized enterprises in transition economies. Specifically, national culture and organisational culture influence employee behaviour and participation in knowledge-sharing activities. Thus, it is critical organisational leaders of medium-sized firms in Albania consider the influence of these factors before implementing knowledge-sharing activities in firms.
Abstract as published in International Journal of Knowledge Management Studies.
Keywords: knowledge; knowledge sharing; knowledge management; transition economies; national culture; organisational culture; small- and medium-sized enterprises; SMEs
Limitations and open questions
- Only five major economic sectors of the Albanian economy were included, so some findings might not apply to other sectors.
- The study should be replicated in another transition economy in Central or Eastern Europe.
- The study covered medium-sized firms only and should be extended to large firms in Albania.
- Future studies could add to understanding of the influence of communism on inter-cultural communication and knowledge sharing.
Open questions
- Do the cultural barriers to knowledge sharing found in Albanian medium-sized firms also appear in large firms and in other Central or Eastern European transition economies?
- How did communism shape inter-cultural communication and knowledge sharing, and does its influence weaken as younger employees enter the workforce?
Open questions from the evidence overview Culture, knowledge management and transition economies.
Practical implications
- Leaders of Albanian medium-sized enterprises are advised to account for national culture, build a supportive organizational culture led by top management, and address fears and clustering among employees.
- Leaders of Albanian medium-sized enterprises can consider reward systems: 95% of the managers interviewed believed these would motivate employees to take part in knowledge sharing, and 55% favored non-monetary incentives such as recognition and career progression.
- Leaders of Albanian medium-sized enterprises are advised to adapt information systems to national and organizational cultural requirements rather than buying generic knowledge management systems.
- Some findings might not apply to other sectors of the Albanian economy, because the study included only five major economic sectors.
Drawn from Vajjhala & Baghurst (2014), International Journal of Knowledge Management Studies, 5(3/4), pp. 304–321.
When this research may be relevant
This article may be relevant to literature searches on knowledge sharing barriers in SMEs, the influence of national and organisational culture on knowledge management, post-communist transition economies in Central and Eastern Europe, trust and top-management support in knowledge initiatives, and qualitative case studies in Albania.
Research topics addressed: knowledge sharing; knowledge management; organizational culture; national culture; transition economies; Albania; SMEs; medium-sized enterprises; post-communist economies; trust; qualitative case study; Hofstede cultural dimensions; top management support; NVivo
How to cite
- APA 7
- Vajjhala, N. R., & Baghurst, T. (2014). Influence of cultural factors on knowledge sharing in medium-sized enterprises within transition economies. International Journal of Knowledge Management Studies, 5(3/4), 304–321. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJKMS.2014.067235
- MLA 9
- Vajjhala, Narasimha Rao, and Timothy Baghurst. “Influence of cultural factors on knowledge sharing in medium-sized enterprises within transition economies.” International Journal of Knowledge Management Studies, vol. 5, no. 3/4, 2014, pp. 304–21. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJKMS.2014.067235.
- IEEE
- N. R. Vajjhala and T. Baghurst, “Influence of cultural factors on knowledge sharing in medium-sized enterprises within transition economies,” International Journal of Knowledge Management Studies, vol. 5, no. 3/4, pp. 304–321, 2014, doi: 10.1504/IJKMS.2014.067235.
BibTeX
@article{vajjhala2014cultural,
title = {Influence of cultural factors on knowledge sharing in medium-sized enterprises within transition economies},
author = {Vajjhala, Narasimha Rao and Baghurst, Timothy},
journal = {International Journal of Knowledge Management Studies},
volume = {5},
number = {3/4},
pages = {304--321},
year = {2014},
publisher = {Inderscience},
doi = {10.1504/IJKMS.2014.067235},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1504/IJKMS.2014.067235}
}RIS
TY - JOUR TI - Influence of cultural factors on knowledge sharing in medium-sized enterprises within transition economies AU - Vajjhala, Narasimha Rao AU - Baghurst, Timothy JO - International Journal of Knowledge Management Studies PY - 2014 DA - 2014 VL - 5 IS - 3/4 SP - 304 EP - 321 PB - Inderscience SN - 1743-8268 DO - 10.1504/IJKMS.2014.067235 UR - https://www.narasimharao.net/research/cultural-factors-knowledge-sharing-smes-albania/ LA - en ER -
Links and files
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1504/IJKMS.2014.067235
- Publisher’s page: https://www.inderscience.com/jhome.php?jcode=ijkms
- This page as text: https://www.narasimharao.net/research/cultural-factors-knowledge-sharing-smes-albania/paper.md
- Permanent address of this page: https://www.narasimharao.net/research/cultural-factors-knowledge-sharing-smes-albania/
Related work
Related work: the literature this study cites
Vajjhala and Baghurst note that most knowledge management research in transition economies has applied models and theories developed in Western countries or Japan[1], and that post-communist societies can face a culture of non-sharing and mistrust[2]. Lack of trust between knowledge providers and receivers is a recognised barrier to knowledge sharing in firms[3], and knowledge sharing is described as a social-exchange process subject to both organisational and national cultural influences[4][5]. The knowledge-sharing study places its findings alongside literature holding that national culture shapes how effectively knowledge is shared and that people in high power-distance cultures hesitate to share across hierarchical levels[6], that low power-distance cultures are more conducive to knowledge sharing[7], and that people in collectivist cultures tend to share within, but not outside, their group[4]. Its finding on organisational culture is consistent with work identifying organisational culture as the most significant factor in knowledge management[8], and its information-systems finding with evidence that SMEs struggle to fund and maintain knowledge management systems[9].
- [1] Michailova, S. and Sidorova, E. (2010) ‘Knowledge management in transition economies: selected key issues and possible research avenues’, Organizations and Markets in Emerging Economies, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp.68–81.
- [2] Burke, M.E. (2011) ‘Knowledge sharing in emerging economies’, Library Review, Vol. 60, No. 1, pp.5–14.
- [3] Haas, M.R. and Hansen, M.T. (2007) ‘Different knowledge, different benefits: toward a productivity perspective on knowledge sharing in organizations’, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 28, No. 11, pp.1133–1153.
- [4] Michailova, S. and Hutchings, K. (2006) ‘National cultural influences on knowledge sharing: a comparison of China and Russia’, Journal of Management Studies, Vol. 43, No. 3, pp.383–405.
- [5] Chen, J., Sun, P.Y.T. and McQueen, R.J. (2010) ‘The impact of national cultures on structured knowledge transfer’, Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp.228–242.
- [6] Jing, L. (2010) ‘Culture and knowledge transfer: theoretical considerations’, Journal of Service Science and Management, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp.159–169.
- [7] Herremans, I. and Isaac, R. (2007) ‘Relationships among intellectual capital, uncertain knowledge, and culture’, Global Journal of Business Research, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp.24–35.
- [8] Alavi, M., Kayworth, T.R. and Leidner, D.E. (2005) ‘An empirical examination of the influence of organizational culture on knowledge management practices’, Journal of Management Information Systems, Vol. 22, No. 3, pp.191–224.
- [9] Lester, D.L. and Tran, T.T. (2008) ‘Information technology capabilities: suggestions for SME growth’, Journal of Behavioral and Applied Management, Vol. 10, No. 1, pp.72–88.
From the evidence overview How does national culture shape knowledge sharing and collaboration in transition economies? Evidence from Albania, which cites only works that appear in the studies’ own reference lists. This is a selection, not the full reference list of Vajjhala & Baghurst (2014).
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