789 Knowledge Transfer and Sharing in Globally Distributed Teams Ilan Oshri Erasmus University, The Netherlands Julia Kotlarsky University of Warwick, UK Paul C. van Fenema Netherlands Defense Academy, The Netherlands K IntroductIon Recent years have witnessed the globalisation of many industries. Consequently, globally distributed and virtual teams have become increasingly common in many areas, for example, in new product devel- opment and information systems (IS) development. Achieving successful collaborations has become a key challenge for globally distributed organizations, and it is largely dependent on teams' ability to transfer and share knowledge. Knowledge transfer is the process through which one organization (or unit) identifies and learns specific knowledge that resides in another organization (or unit), and re-applies this knowledge in other contexts (Hansen et al., 1999). On the individual level, Cutler (1989) has previously observed that knowledge transfer is indeed a process by which the knowledge of one actor is acquired and is reapplied by another. There have been numerous studies on knowledge transfer in various contexts (e.g., co-located teams, virtual teams), exploring the factors involved, and their impact on individual and team performance. It is commonly rec- ognized that knowledge transfer is important for both team and product success. In this article, the concept of knowledge transfer in globally distributed teams will be explored. First, some definitions of the key concepts discussed here will be provided and a review of the relevant literature will be presented. Following this, a discussion of the processes, contexts, mechanisms and challenges involved in knowledge transfer in globally distributed teams will be developed. Lastly, the potential for future research in this area will be explored and conclusions will be offered. Background Knowledge transfer is the process through which one organization unit identifies, learns and (re)applies routines in a specific area from another organization or organizational unit. The transfer of knowledge between teams and individuals is important in both co-located and distributed contexts (Hendriks, 1999). The ability to share knowledge through knowledge transfer proc- esses, for example, is important to building trust and improving the effectiveness of group work (Storck, 2000). Others have claimed that without an effective sharing of information, projects might suffer from coordination problems, leading to unsuccessful col- laborations (Herbsleb & Moitra, 2001). Nonetheless, achieving an effective knowledge transfer process may encounter certain challenges, in particular when teams are faced with cultural, geo- graphical and time zone differences such as in globally distributed teams. In comparison to co-located teams, globally distributed teams are faced with additional chal- lenges when attempting to transfer and share knowledge between remote sites. Globally distributed teams are broadly defined as two or more teams working together to accomplish project goals from different geographi- cal locations. One key area that has attracted attention from both academics and practitioners when consider- ing knowledge transfer between globally distributed teams is the organizational mechanisms through which knowledge can be best shared between remote sites. In particular, the literature has emphasized the use of certain collaborative technologies such as e-mail, chat (instant messaging), phone/teleconferencing, video- conferencing, intranet, group calendar, discussion lists and electronic meeting systems (Herbsleb & Mockus, Copyright © 2008, IGI Global, distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited.