Individual Level Knowledge Transfer in Virtual Settings: A Review and Synthesis

Since the emergence of the knowledge-based view of the firm in the mid-1990, researchers have made considerable effort to untangle the complexity of how individuals create, capture and realize value from knowledge. To date, this burgeoning field has offered rich and yet diverse insights involving contextual, process and outcome factors that influence individual level knowledge transfer. Concomitantly globalization and advancing technologies have extended virtual work arrangements such as virtual teams and virtual communities on the internet and considerably extended the knowledge base upon which individuals can draw when creating, acquiring, sharing and integrating knowledge. Research on individual level knowledge transfer has also embraced these virtual environments spawning new insights. Hence the objective of this paper is to assess current state of research and identify potential avenues for future research at the intersection of these two dimensions. The authors focus specifically on knowledge transfer research at the individual level instead of the team or firm level and within virtual settings. Applying a process view of knowledge transfer, they synthesize existing findings and discuss issues surrounding the inputs, processes, and outputs. The synthesis reveals both strengths and gaps in the literature. Accordingly, the authors offer directions for future research that may address the gaps and contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of individual level knowledge transfer in virtual settings.