Some of the barriers to knowledge transfer may stem from a person's formative school-age years. During this period, kids are often taught that knowledge is something which should be prized and, above all, protected. These themes are further developed when forms of competition are introduced and students may be encouraged to trump the abilities or capacity of others. This conceptualization of the privilege of information can then be easily transferred into the business environment.
In a world of patents, monopolies and business competition, the retention and protection of knowledge is of the utmost importance. After all, a business must secure its innovations and concepts from opponents in the same sector. Even within a single organization, multiple individuals may contend for the same form of advancement, position or spotlight. This lends little credibility to the notion of sharing information, knowledge or intelligence with either competitors or colleagues.
In other cases, individuals and organizations may be simply unaware of the benefits of knowledge transfer. This was one of the principal points within the business concept of synergy, where the team unit is emphasized and individual skills and knowledge bases are maximized for a fuller group performance. Knowledge transfer in the 21st century involves ever more sophisticated IT departments that can collate, store and provide access to expansive databases of information resources, available to all who function within a given organization.
While many of the issues surrounding knowledge transfer are associated with institutions or organizations, this is not always the case. Professors at the University of Wolverhampton have emphasized the importance of considering the role of individual inventors or developers in this effort. These thinkers and producers have the capacity to challenge more traditional organizational approaches -- in a sense, to think outside of the box. They can offer new angles on product, marketing and other business strategies.