Leveraging Knowledge Sharing to Achieve Sustainable Competitive Advantage in Organizations

The importance of knowledge sharing for sustainable competitive advantage has been emphasised by [1], [2] among others. Knowledge application enables the organization to provide good quality goods and services, improve productivity and innovation, improve delivery lead times, manage complexity and effectively respond to change. Competitiveness can be achieved through new ways of managing [4],[5],[1],[6], among others have suggested movement away from bureaucratic management, process improvement, and enhanced customer knowledge, brainstorming for knowledge sharing as avenues for achieving sustainable competitive advantage. Additionally, [1], [2], [7], have emphasized the importance of new cultures based on transparency and trust, continuous learning, continuous employee development through coaching, mentorship and training. In order to encourage change of employee behaviour, [1], [5], [7], have emphasized use of human resource management approaches that encourage risk taking, recognises knowledge sources, and establishment of flexible reward systems based on team contribution. Managers are also encouraged to delegate responsibility, empower workers and provide task flexibility and autonomy. Technology can be used to share knowledge and improve interaction for value generation. Key Words Sustainable competitive advantage: continuous improvement in quality, creativity and efficiency [2]. Knowledge: is a fluid mix of framed experience, values, contextual information, and expert insight that provides a framework for evaluating and incorporating new experiences and information [2]. Trust: confidence in other’s character and competencies [1]