ABSTRACT
The individual entering the world of employment transfers from a context which focuses on the needs of the individual to an environment focused on group requirements. The individual becomes a specialist contributing to a group working together on a common task(s), and does so by making their knowledge productive for the group as a whole (Drucker, 1993). The individual in this work context accumulates personal knowledge because it is of value to the group. Possession of this knowledge also becomes a source of personal competitive advantage (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995). Immediately then a tension emerges between the needs of the individual and the group. But these knowledge workers cannot be bullied into sharing their knowledge (von Krogh, Ichijo and Nonaka, 2000). Consequently, organisational or group learning requires a process whereby individuals are enticed to share their specialist knowledge.
