The "global" and the "local" in knowledge management

Purpose - This paper aims to unravel the complexities associated with knowledge sharing in large global organizations through a field study carried out in a large, multinational company (Du Pont), focusing on the critical issues, concrete practices, bottle-necks, and constraints in knowledge sharing. The tension between "local" production of much of the knowledge and its globalizing is specifically addressed.Design methodology approach - Qualitative analysis based on a detailed case study of the knowledge-sharing practices in two business units, two functional areas (R&D and engineering project management) in four countries.Findings - Focus on certain types of organizational knowledge to the exclusion of others can be counter-productive. Knowledge management (KM) systems need to be integrative and flexible enough to facilitate the dynamic interplay between different forms of knowledge across the space and time.Research limitations implications - The results of a case study are somewhat limited in terms of their generalizablity.Practical implications - The insights from the study offer useful guidelines for designing systems and processes for sharing and managing knowledge in large, diversified organizations.Originality value - Most field-based investigations into knowledge management tend to focus on specific KM projects. This is one of the few comprehensive studies that analyzed knowledge-sharing practices and constraints at both local and global level in large organizations. It elucidates the key facilitators and inhibitors of knowledge sharing in such organizations.