Knowledge Sharing in Customer Support : Exploring Influential Socio-technological Factors

Abstract

Since early times people have depended on each other for knowledge. This is how we evolve and it is our way of life. We think, we ask questions in attempts to learn and we teach our children to walk. We all do this naturally. An organisation is not natural and it does in a sense constrain our way of living. At the same time it enables us to perform greater tasks than that of one man. In fact many will probably say that it is a necessity for doing complex tasks like building bridges or developing information systems. Organisations often strive to organise its members in the best possible way, from direct supervision to coaching, from sitting alone in an office to open landscape solutions, and supplying them with all kinds of tools. This thesis searches in a customer support department for sociological and technological factors that influence knowledge sharing. The study views organisational structure, work environment, management style and information infrastructure as possible enablers to knowledge sharing. It applies an ethnographic methodological approach to gather data from the context. The findings includes observations and interviews that show deviations between planned activities and actual activities, how sharing occurs and socio-technological factors that influence knowledge sharing.