The Influence of National and Organisational Culture on Knowledge Sharing in Distributed Teams

In today's competitive business environment increasingly large numbers of organisations use distributed teams in their international operations. This paper provides a basis for discussion and analysis of knowledge sharing between distributed team members working in a global context in different organisational and national cultures. Examining the different cultural values and perceptions related to knowledge sharing, the authors aim at making more explicit the human and cultural dynamics that bear on knowledge sharing and knowledge management success. A lifecycle for knowledge creation and sharing is discussed. The use of Cultural and Organisational Diversity Evaluation (CODE) is proposed for assessing the fit between national and organisational culture. The objective of using the CODE model is to raise awareness of the cultural values and attitudes in distributed teams and in combination with the life-cycle to ensure an effective process quality management and foster a knowledge sharing culture within distributed team members.