Knowledge Sharing Barriers in Growing Software Companies

Abstract

The software business is a fragmented business segment, where there are few big players, some medium-sized companies, and a large number of small companies. Many of these medium-sized and small companies have an aspiration to grow. However, getting a company onto a path of sustainable growth is not an easy task. Although some previous studies have argued that knowledge sharing can be one potential way to support growth, other studies suggest that knowledge sharing is, in fact, a highly challenging task, even a problem, for a growing company. By drawing on previous studies on knowledge sharing barriers and different growth paths in the context of software business, this paper aims to increase our understanding of the knowledge sharing challenges that software companies may face in different growth paths.