Enhancing knowledge transferability: A contradiction of the codification approach

Abstract

Structure of the codified knowledge matters: it defines knowledge transferability while its absence creates information overload. Knowledge transferability creates organizational value through an increase of intellectual capital, innovative activity, and firm performance. The knowledge‐based view postulates higher transferability of codified knowledge, but the codification approach complies with a set of contradictions. The present empirical study uncovers nonlinear relationships between knowledge structure and knowledge transferability and encourages further studies toward search for optimal knowledge structure.