Managing Knowledge in Shared Spaces

Ganesh D. Bhatt¹, Pankaj Pankaj², James A. Rodger^2*

¹Department Information Systems, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
²Information Systems & Decision Sciences, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA, USA.

DOI: 10.4236/iim.2014.65023                

Abstract

Information has always been an integral component of business strategy. However, with the rise of information technology (IT) and globalization of businesses, information has taken a far more important role in explaining business performance. IT can be used to enhance research activities of the firm; and its product knowledge can be used to improve business productivity. In fact, scholars and researchers have indicated that knowledge can be a source of sustainable advantages for the firm. However, not much research has been done that explains what kind of knowledge is important for sustainable advantages. In this paper, we present three kinds of knowledge: core, complementary, and peripheral. We also develop an idea of shared space along three dimensions: physically shared space, technically shared space, and cognitively shared space. The main theme of this paper is to show the relevance and importance of these different kinds of knowledge along the shared spaces that create sustainable advantages for the firm.

Keywords

Knowledge Management, Information Technology, Shared Space, Firm Performance

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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