On the different “worlds” of intra-organizational knowledge management: Understanding idiosyncratic variation in MNC cross-site knowledge-sharing practices

► A qualitative study investigated different ways in which six MNCs conceived of knowledge and knowledge sharing. ► The results disclose heterogeneous “worlds” of MNC knowledge sharing. ► A typology of MNC knowledge-sharing practices is derived. ► The typology distinguishes self-organizing, technocratic, and best-practice knowledge sharing. ► The typology sheds light on numerous issues, including the conflict between sender-receiver and social learning theories.