Article: Knowledge management practices in project-based organisations Journal: International Journal of Business Excellence (IJBEX) 2009 Vol.2 No.2 pp.140 - 156 Abstract: The paper aims to describe the difficulties in knowledge sharing in project management and suggest solutions to these difficulties. Following a review of knowledge sharing in the literature, workshops are conducted with expert project management practitioners in 2006; in addition, a questionnaire survey of the participants of the workshops is conducted. The study finds that Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) had different knowledge-sharing arrangements from those of Multinational Corporations (MNCs). The work of SMEs was more likely to be based on company-level knowledge sharing and the commitment of employees to projects was less marked. SMEs did not use formal project management systems to manage their projects; rather, they relied on the knowledge of individuals. In all of the companies studied, the most important challenges were cultural – how managers enable learning and how people can learn from mistakes most effectively. The structural factors in Knowledge Management (KM) were also of importance. The study is highly context-oriented and local. There is a need for in-depth interviews regarding the conditions of knowledge sharing in project business. The study makes a contribution to a better understanding of the knowledge-sharing conditions in project business in SMEs and MNCs. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Knowledge management practices in project-based organisations

Authors: Maqsood Sandhu, Marja Naaranoja

Addresses: Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 4600, FIN-90014, Oulu, Finland. ' Vaasan Ammattikorkeakoulu, University of Applied Sciences, Wolffintie 30, 65200, Vaasa, Finland

Abstract: The paper aims to describe the difficulties in knowledge sharing in project management and suggest solutions to these difficulties. Following a review of knowledge sharing in the literature, workshops are conducted with expert project management practitioners in 2006; in addition, a questionnaire survey of the participants of the workshops is conducted. The study finds that Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) had different knowledge-sharing arrangements from those of Multinational Corporations (MNCs). The work of SMEs was more likely to be based on company-level knowledge sharing and the commitment of employees to projects was less marked. SMEs did not use formal project management systems to manage their projects; rather, they relied on the knowledge of individuals. In all of the companies studied, the most important challenges were cultural – how managers enable learning and how people can learn from mistakes most effectively. The structural factors in Knowledge Management (KM) were also of importance. The study is highly context-oriented and local. There is a need for in-depth interviews regarding the conditions of knowledge sharing in project business. The study makes a contribution to a better understanding of the knowledge-sharing conditions in project business in SMEs and MNCs.

Keywords: knowledge sharing; business excellence; project management; best practices; small and medium-sized enterprises; SMEs; multinational corporations; MNCs.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBEX.2009.022715

International Journal of Business Excellence, 2009 Vol.2 No.2, pp.140 - 156

Published online: 25 Jan 2009 *

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Title: Knowledge management practices in project-based organisations

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