Information Technology Support for Interorganizational Knowledge Transfer: An Empirical Study of Law Firms in Norway and Australia

Abstract

This chapter explores some important and contemporary issues concerning the knowledge-based view of the firm. Law firms represent an industry that seems very well suited to knowledge management investigation. Law firms are knowledge intensive, and the use of advanced technology may well transform these organizations in the future. This chapter reports empirical results from Norwegian and Australian law firms on their use of IT to support their knowledge management practice. IT plays a critical role in inter firm knowledge management efforts. This interorganizational study documents that the extent of knowledge cooperation had a significant impact on the use of IT to support interorganizational knowledge management. The extent of interorganizational trust did not have any significant impact.