The Role of the Individual in Knowledge Sharing and Organisational Learning: Navigating Internationalisation Within the Soft-Services Sector

Michail Papaioannou ()
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Michail Papaioannou: Coventry University, School of Markets and the Economy

A chapter in Knowledge Management and Innovation, Volume I, 2026, pp 111-137 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract This chapter explores the critical role of individuals in learning and knowledge management during the internationalisation process of soft-service organisations. Drawing on a literature review of knowledge types, sharing models, and transfer enablers and barriers, it highlights how knowledge, with particular reference to tacit knowledge, remains embedded within individuals and is not easily accessible as organisational memory. The study employs a qualitative case study approach, using semi-structured interviews with senior managers from international hotel chains. A thematic analysis of ten interviews reveals the crucial role of individuals in capturing, transforming, and sharing knowledge, and the challenges organisations face in converting tacit knowledge into explicit forms that can be transferred. The findings highlight the importance of social capital, networks, and relationships in knowledge transfer, offering insights into structures and processes that support learning. The chapter contributes to the development of effective knowledge management strategies that leverage individual contributions within the internationalisation process.

Keywords: Knowledge sharing; Organisational learning; Navigating internationalisation; Soft-services sector (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-3-032-16620-3_5

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-16620-3_5

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