Examining the Role of Knowledge, Source, Recipient, Relational, and Situational Context on Knowledge Transfer among Face-to-Face ISD Teams

This study examines the factors associated with face-to-face ISD teams and its members who are able to internalize significant knowledge transferred from other team members. Specifically, the study empirically examines the impact of an ISD team member’s absorptive capacity, motivation, communication among members, group culture, and group cohesion on knowledge transfer. The findings of this study indicate that in face-to-face teams, an individual is able to internalize significant amount of transferred knowledge from his/her team members if he/she is perceived by the source to have a high absorptive capacity, interacts extensively with other team members, and belongs to a collectivist team whose members have a high motivation to transfer knowledge. Interestingly, not only did a recipient’s motivation to learn not impact knowledge transfer positively, but unexpectedly it influenced knowledge transfer negatively. Group’s collectivist culture as posited contributed to KT but group cohesion did not have a significant impact.