Power and Status Theory as a Lens to View Knowledge Sharing and Knowledge Building Issues in an IOIS Project

This qualitative study used power and status theory as a lens to view and analyze knowledge sharing and knowledge building issues in an Inter-Organizational Information Systems (IOIS) project to further the understanding of how the experience of power and status affect perceptions concerning knowledge sharing and knowledge building. The case was a three-year-long IOIS project spanning nine organizations altogether. The data were collected by interviews, observations of project meetings, diaries, project memoranda and emails sent by project members to each other during these years. We demonstrate how power and status colors experiences about the knowledge sharing and knowledge building work in an IOIS project. The paper concludes by discussing theoretical and practical implications of our findings.