Types of information and knowledge sharing in a R&D environment

Abstract

Information and knowledge sharing among researchers depends on social interaction and may take different forms. This present study was aimed at identifying the types of sharing within the R&D environment in the area of Functional Foods. The data were gathered through interviews and analyzed through the content analysis approach. The types of sharing were categorized as: intentional, unilateral, with leaders, multi and interdisciplinary, compulsory, non-intentional, mediated, continuous, and between groups. The results evidenced that there is no strict demarcation between the types and that a type may be turned into another type depending on its practical intensity. It appears that the Information and knowledge sharing stimulates learning and further knowledge appropriation.