Barriers to Knowledge sharing : An investigation of Practice Area Networks at WSP Sweden

Abstract: This investigative case study of how barriers to knowledge sharing manifest at the Swedish subsidiary of the global consulting firm WSP, seeks to bridge the theory-practice gap in the knowledge management literature. The investigation focused on Practice Area Networks, or PANs, which are global information and communication networks at WSP, and the extent to which these are utilized by junior and senior consultants. The method mainly relies on semi-structured interviews, where 20 interviews were held with different consultants from all business areas. Additionally, a survey with 375 respondents from across all Swedish WSP offices was conducted as well as an on-site investigation at the Stockholm office which included several discussions with different managers. The results from the investigation reveal that despite a prolific enthusiasm for knowledge sharing across WSP Sweden, barriers nevertheless manifest in both a preference for the status quo and through employees’ internal communication problems. Consequently, PANs are not readily adopted but instead an approximate quarter of consultants are both aware of PAN and active users. Since employee knowledge is amongst the most valuable assets of a consulting firm, three propositions for future research were formulated concerning the barriers to knowledge sharing.