Knowledge Sharing Barriers of Acquisitioned Growth: A Case Study from a Software Company

Acquisition as a growth strategy is often burdened by subsequent unsatisfactory performance. The literature suggests that a potential cause is mismanagement of knowledge. Such mismanagement may occur if the barriers to knowledge sharing in acquisitioned growth are not adequately understood. Hence, the aim of this study is to improve understanding of the potentially most restrictive knowledge sharing barriers in acquisitioned growth. It does so through a case study in the context of the software business. The findings of the study will help companies with a strategy of growing through acquisitions to better prepare for the challenging task of managing such growth. The paper also contributes to the literature on knowledge management by defining knowledge sharing barriers in the context of acquisitioned growth in the software business. A contribution to growth literature is made by touching on the issue of the management of acquisitions from the perspective of knowledge management, and especially knowledge sharing.