Why knowledge transfer fails? A failure story about timing and other factors

Failure is a necessary by-product of experimentation and being able to identify early failures is important for recognizing where opportunities are, and are not, and for allowing a quick release of resources for more promising projects. This is particularly important for small enterprises suffering from resource limitations but examining own failures is emotionally unpleasant and entrepreneurs usually show aversion to reflect on their unsuccessful experiences. Overall, organizations that are able to learn from failure are extraordinarily rare despite their commitment to do so and, due to the tendency of researchers to focus on successful cases, the possibilities to learn from failure are diminished. This paper takes a look at a failure case of knowledge transfer in the context of a product development process and analyzes the factors that had a negative influence on it. In order to explore this phenomenon, a single case was used and both actors involved, a graphic designer working in the field of creative industries and his client, were interviewed. Secondary data comprising written documents, references and other relevant material, were also collected for data triangulation. We found that keeping time, external opinions and the feeling of ownership in mind, is critical to avoid mistakes during the knowledge transfer process. More specifically, the investigated case seemed to fail mainly due to the propensity of the designer to push the project forward without allowing enough time for the client to process and make sense of information. In this regard, we see how designers face a paradox as they pursue effective knowledge transfer. Ambiguity and contradictions make the development process longer but they are necessary for effective knowledge creation. From a managerial perspective, the identified factors point some of the areas in which freelancers and their clients must concentrate as they try to avoid unsuccessful knowledge transfer.