Mopsos

An article published by Harry Scarbrough of the Warwick Business School in KM Review called "Why employees don't share what they know" (unfortunately only available online for subscribers) elaborates on four typical employee behaviors that characterize the way they share knowledge, and derives some recommendations for KM program managers.

The following table summarizes the key findings of the article:

This is interesting. I realize that I have been spending most of my time on recommended intervention #1 and to a lesser extent #2, though my company is currently concerned by #3 and #4 mostly. Like many global companies, Schneider Electric is a kind of feudal organization where the influence of country managers and department managers on the behaviors of employees under their responsibility is very high. This is especially true in periods of uncertainty like the one we are going through since the lattest reorg. in December. Employees are so scared to lose their job that their natural behavior is to bet on one particular manager they expect will be promoted, and do whatever it takes to be part of his inner circle of trusted servants. So you see communities of practice built around a core group of expert practitioners officially "on hold" while their members run around like headless chicken trying to establish one to one relationships with key managers, in the hope of obtaining a good position in the new organization.
Now I have a problem, and a big one. I don't see any executive in this company who would accept to be a role model for knowledge sharing in the current situation. This is no longer a period of peace - a time to learn together how to satisfy customers. This is a period of war - a time to execute orders from managers who already know what to do.
Please tell me I'm wrong.

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