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We first define knowledge sharing in ISD and compare it with other similar concepts in the IS literature. Prior studies related to knowledge sharing between business and IT professionals are then reviewed to identify gaps in the existing literature. We then describe the relevance and use of the theory of social interdependence, which posits that goal, task, and reward interdependencies promote interactions, for explaining knowledge sharing between the subgroups of business professionals and external IT consultants during ISD. 2.1 Defining Knowledge Sharing in IS Development Knowledge sharing implies a relationship between two parties-one that possesses the knowledge and the other that requires the knowledge (Hendriks, 1999). It has been defined as a conscious act to participate in knowledge exchange even when there is no external compulsion to do so (Davenport, 1997). It has also been defined as revealing the presence of pertinent knowledge without necessarily transmitting it in its entirety (Tiwana and McLean, 2005). Building on these definitions, we define knowledge sharing in our study's context as the extent to which the subgroups of business professionals and external IT consultants consciously reveal the presence of and exchange pertinent knowledge with one another 2. Central to the concept of knowledge sharing is the idea of knowledge exchange between participants. Participants (i.e., business professionals and external IT consultants in our study) engage in two-way interactions and shift between the roles of knowledge source and recipient in knowledge sharing. Thus knowledge sharing refers to the bidirectional exchange of knowledge and differs from other concepts such as knowledge transfer, which refers to the unidirectional flow of knowledge from a source to the recipient (Joshi et al., 2007). 2.2 Review of Studies on Knowledge Sharing between Business and IT Professionals Prior studies on knowledge sharing between business and IT professionals have provided insights on its antecedents. In reviewing the studies, we organize the antecedents identified based on the key elements of communication proposed in the communication perspective (Berlo, 1960). Organizing the antecedents allows us to better summarize the state of research on knowledge sharing and identify gaps in prior research. The communication perspective identifies sender, receiver, channel, transmission, and effect as the basic elements of communication (see Table 1). The perspective is relevant for understanding knowledge sharing because these elements are inherent in knowledge sharing 3 (Joshi et al., 2007). In the context of knowledge sharing, sender corresponds to the source contributing knowledge in a particular exchange. Receiver is the entity which acquires the knowledge. Channel corresponds to the medium through which knowledge is shared (e.g., face-to-face meetings, computer, phone, documents). Transmission refers to the actual process and activity of sending and receiving knowledge through designated channels. Its effectiveness is affe...

Organisations are increasingly investing in knowledge management (KM) initiatives to promote the sharing, application, and creation of knowledge for competitive advantage. To guide and assess the progress of KM initiatives in organisations, various process models have been proposed but a consistent approach that has been empirically tested is lacking. Based on the life cycle theory, this paper reviews, compares, and integrates existing models to propose a General KM Maturity Model (G-KMMM). G-KMMM encompasses the initial, aware, defined, managed, and optimising stages, which are differentiated in terms of their characteristics related to the people, process, and technology aspects of KM. To facilitate empirical validation and application, an accompanying assessment tool is also developed. As an initial validation of the proposed G-KMMM, a case study of a multi-unit information system organisation of a large public university was conducted. Findings indicate that G-KMMM can be a useful diagnostic tool for assessing and guiding KM implementation in organisations. Keywords: Knowledge management; maturity modeling; case study. J. Info. Know. Mgmt. 2009.08:79-99. Downloaded from www.worldscientific.com by MCGILL UNIVERSITY on 02/07/15. For personal use only.

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