Conclusion

This book has sought to provide a series of insights into knowledge transfer, sharing, acquisition and application by bringing together a series of contributions by a number of academics with an interest in the field. The reason why the focus of this book is important is because an understanding of knowledge diffusion can provide vital perspectives on how to improve these processes, with the benefit of this understanding being the spread of knowledge between businesses and organizations potentially leading to increased profitability, innovation and competitiveness. The key reasons for the book are:

to understand the relationship between knowledge and networks;

to help increase knowledge and understanding of the processes through which knowledge is made available;

to provide methodological considerations for research examining the diffusion of knowledge within tourism destinations.

Based on these issues, ideas relating to knowledge dynamics, knowledge management and knowledge networks were discussed in the book. Knowledge dynamics relate to the flows of knowledge between businesses in the tourism sector and organizations involved with tourism activities. Knowledge is diffused through these dynamics. Knowledge management involves the activities of knowledge creation, capture, storage, retrieval and application (Alavi and Tiwana 2003). Knowledge networks are one mechanism by which knowledge spreads (Liebowitz 2007) and these flows can be explained using network concepts. In exploring these aspects of knowledge, and issues within them, the perspective that this book has taken is one in which the network paradigm provides the theoretical and methodological basis for the understanding of knowledge dynamics in the tourism sector. The network paradigm has been explored in Chapter 8 of this volume. By adopting network perspectives, knowledge dynamics can be explained in terms of their formation and workings and understanding of these can benefit tourism practitioners, academics and professionals who interact in the activities of the business of tourism.