The Limits of Knowledge Management

Abstract
Although some companies would indeed assert that knowledge creation is an essential in their processes, especially companies focused on innovation and high-technology firms, experiencing conflicts and tensions within the company is unavoidable, as supporting and sustaining such knowledge creation is, without a doubt, an arduous task. Because traditional management techniques may no longer be appropriate in dealing with the process of knowledge creation, organizations and their members are bound to encounter several different barriers to sharing knowledge. Regardless of the managerial style imposed within a company, barriers to knowledge will still occur as the processes involved will concern various degrees of intellectual capabilities and human relationships. This chapter sheds light on such barriers, which can be classified into two interrelated categories — individual and organizational.