Coffee as an antidote to knowledge stickiness

摘要

This paper considers the concept of space and its role in both knowledge creation and overcoming knowledge stickiness. Aristotelian concepts of 'freedom to' and 'freedom from' are used to reconceptualise space. Informal and formal spaces, concepts and places are discussed as both specific locations and as gaps providing space for knowledge development. Qualitative case data indicates that there are three types of space which need to be considered: physical, mental and virtual, as well as a range of reasons why space alone is not enough to support knowledge creation and learning. In the paper it is argued that recognising these areas and developing them in a managed way could overcome inherent organisational learning and knowledge creation barriers.