KNOWLEDGE SHARING RISKS IN COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract

Knowledge Management deals with a multitude of tasks that range from the representation to the evolution of knowledge in its various forms. Understanding the way in which knowledge is used contributes to the improvement of the Knowledge Management Systems at the organizational level. This paper aims at investigating the risks that appear in the process of Knowledge Sharing when two or more distinct companies with different enterprise cultures collaborate, as in the form of a Virtual Enterprise or a recently-completed Merger or Acquisition. We consider the risks identified in the research literature that are linked to the Knowledge Sharing Process in Virtual Organizations and discuss to which extent these risks might appear during the integration process of both Mergers and Acquisitions. An Automatic Supervisor Module of a Knowledge Management System is subsequently presented, with the purpose of continuously monitoring these risks and promoting the sharing of knowledge within a collaborative context.Knowledge Management, Knowledge Sharing, Virtual Organizations, Mergers and Acquisitions