Studying the barriers and solutions for knowledge - sharing in companies of Science and Technology Parks

Aim: This study aimed to identify barriers and strategic solutions for knowledge sharing among companies operating in the Khuzestan Science and Technology Park.
As an applied research, it used mixed method. The research population included all managers and deputies of the companies located in Khuzestan Science & Technology Park, of which using Cochran formula, and simple random sampling method, 144 people were selected as the research sample. In the quantitative part of the study, the data collection tools was a questionnaire which its reliability was tested by calculating of Cronbach’s Alpha that ended up with the figure 0.921. The face and content validity method was used to check the validity of the questionnaire. For the Qualitative part of the study, semi-structured interviews run based on the results of the quantitative part.
Findings: The results showed that among the components of the barriers to sharing knowledge, with respect to the designated cut-off point, the technological factors were lower than the target average, while the cultural, structural and individual factors were equal to the average score. Therefore, considering the barriers and the outcomes of the interviews carried out, practical measures were suggested such as encouraging knowledge sharing behavior of companies, holding workshops, undertaking large projects and specialized distribution of the labor and jobs among the firms.