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Destroying collaboration and knowledge sharing in the workplace: a reverse brainstorming approach

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Knowledge Management Research & Practice

Abstract

Organizations in the 21st century find themselves in the culture of collaboration. Collaboration and knowledge sharing are fundamental aspects of problem solving, decision making and innovation, and are therefore vital for success. Some organizational cultures foster collaboration while others actively or inadvertently destroy shared decision-making activities. Reverse brainstorming is a method where participants identify different ways to cause a problem. These negative ideas are then used to stimulate ideas for solving the problem. This paper reports on a reverse brainstorming session during which knowledge management practitioners, consultants and academics generated ideas on how collaboration and knowledge sharing is destroyed in organizations, followed by positive ideas to promote effective, collaborative workplaces.

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Acknowledgements

The author wishes to acknowledge the contributions of the knowledge management practitioners and academics who attended the KM & Collaboration Australia Conference held in Luna Park, Sydney on 21–22 July 2010, where they participated in the reverse brainstorming session about destroying collaboration in and across the organization. The author also wishes to acknowledge Michelle Lambert and Cory Banks, the initiators and facilitators of the reverse brainstorming session.

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Appendices

Appendix A

Table A1

Table A1 Reverse brainstorm ideas for destroying collaboration

Appendix B

Table B1

Table B1 Promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing

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Evans, N. Destroying collaboration and knowledge sharing in the workplace: a reverse brainstorming approach. Knowl Manage Res Pract 10, 175–187 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1057/kmrp.2011.43

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/kmrp.2011.43

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