Knowledge intermediaries in successful knowledge reuse and sharing

This thesis presents a case study exploration of knowledge intermediaries. The research focuses primarily on human intermediaries (His) and their roles in successful knowledge reuse and sharing. It also investigates knowledge intermediaries in relation to high-value knowledge flows in addition to general knowledge flows. Knowledge is an important and strategic organizational resource. Many studies have been conducted to understand how organizations can maximize the application and exploitation of knowledge. In this regard, improving knowledge reuse and sharing and understanding the factors that lead to more successful knowledge reuse and sharing are concerns of many organizations and researchers. The literature indicates that intermediaries are important in successful knowledge reuse, as they influence other factors which have an impact on knowledge reuse. However, intermediaries, their concepts, roles, types have not themselves been extensively investigated and are arguably underappreciated both in practice and theory. These reasons motivate this research. Furthermore, to understand more about different intermediaries, this study focuses on their roles and impacts in knowledge flows that differ in terms of perceived value. The purpose of the research is to understand how human intermediaries (His) can facilitate better and more knowledge reuse and sharing, particularly with respect to high-value knowledge. To meet this purpose, an exploratory, qualitative case study was conducted in a large knowledge-intensive multi-unit law firm in Australia. Interviewing was the main data collection method, but relevant documents and KMSs were reviewed as well. Interview subjects were knowledge users and sharers as well as staff who were involved in facilitating knowledge reuse and sharing. A conceptual framework to understand the typologies and roles of His in successful knowledge reuse and sharing is developed. This contains two typologies for His based on the roles they play and the location and characteristics they have in a large multi-unit organization. One of these, the location-oriented typology, classifies His into Local His, who facilitate knowledge reuse and sharing in a specific unit, and Central His, who facilitate knowledge reuse and sharing at the firm-wide level. In this way, the research extends the intermediary component of the knowledge reusability theory of Markus (2001). In facilitating knowledge reuse and sharing, two types of roles for His, namely, the knowledge-oriented roles and the technology-oriented roles, are distinguished and, for each of these, a comprehensive list of functions that should be performed by His to achieve successful knowledge reuse and sharing are identified. Moreover, an appropriate intermediary type is assigned for each function. Lastly, the research recognizes different flows for highand low-value knowledge, and identifies appropriate intermediary types for facilitating these flows, essentially finding that Local His are more appropriate for highvalue knowledge than are IT and Central His.