Exploring the Uses and Gratifications of Digital Tools as Knowledge Transfer Media in Organisations

This chapter aims to study digital tools as media for one of the most important aspects of the knowledge management process in organisations: knowledge transfer. This research contributes to the literature by proposing a relevant intersection between knowledge transfer, digital tools, and uses and gratifications theory to provide an in-depth understanding of employees’ motivations in using digital tools at work. By using a qualitative, exploratory methodology, we shed light on why digital tools facilitate knowledge transfer in organisations. Additionally, we provide a first attempt to classify the use of digital tools in organisations from a knowledge management perspective and assess the integration of the use of these tools and the current changes in the distribution of the physical space in the office. Managers can support the use of certain informal digital tools by their employees as a new communication channel in their organisations. Considering that employees are already used to managing digital tools, it is expected that they will be more motivated to ask questions, share information, discuss ideas and therefore acquire new knowledge through these media.