Abstract—This present article is about knowledge sharing in an engineering company. Based on key concepts of knowledge management and theories of knowledge in organizations, the study sought to identify favoring and hindering factors of the leadership indicator for the sharing of knowledge at an engineering firm. Semi-structured interviews with coordinators and staff members were carried out. A qualitative analysis was then performed, which highlighted that the behavior of knowledge sharing, in the point of view of the coordinators, is part of the company’s practice, while for the staff members this indicator represented an obstacle for the sharing of knowledge. The following were identified as facilitating factors for the sharing of knowledge: Management towards knowledge and leadership development. The barriers found were: the lack of systemic thinking and the absence of exchange between teams. Index Terms—Knowledge, knowledge sharing, leadership. I. INTRODUCTION Over the centuries, many philosophers have failed in their attempts to define the meaning of knowledge. Also mention that Russel would recommend not defining explicitly such a term for it would be difficult notion to conceptualize [1]. In the 1970s, due to competitiveness and to rapid technological changes, efficiency in the business environment came to depend more on ongoing learning and updating than on the managerial competence [2]. Around the end of the twentieth century, many organizations suffered from "learning disability" and it was only through systemic thinking that reason and intuition were reconciled. It is expected that in the future companies build processes based on their organizational structures, norms and values that are directed towards knowledge sharing and creativity. The structures should be further decentralized, flexible and should permit integration between teams to disseminate knowledge [3]. A sensitive factor as to knowledge sharing is communication, which is essential to teamwork: for the studied company, affective communication is critical to favor the flow of technical information and interpersonal relations. The present study analyzes the favorable aspects and the hindrances found by leaders and their staff in sharing knowledge [4]. II. THEORETICAL BASIS The analysis of the favoring factors and hindrances in leadership in the area of knowledge sharing in the company is Manuscript received October 14, 2012; revised December 18, 2012. Zenólia Maria de Almeida is with Universidade do Alto Douro e Tras -os –Montes (e-mail: zenalmeida@gmail.com). the subject of this study. Knowledge Management is, in brief, the effort to improve human and organizational performance. Knowledge management should have one main objective, which is to make sure everyone in the organization has access to knowledge [5]. Knowledge organizations are companies that present these values and are oriented to the acquisition, processing and dissemination of knowledge that constantly flows in the organization [6]. Power in organizations can come from both the leader and their staff when they have influence on attitudes, behaviors or feelings. In this case, knowledge when viewed of power, is able to influence and dominate others [7]. The term „knowledge sharing‟ only makes sense when it is put in action and generates value. In order to more effectively transmit knowledge it is enough to put people together and let them talk to each other. Knowledge sharing in organizations is influenced by many variables that can impact this process in different ways. These include variables of knowledge transfer, with the transmitter and receiver of knowledge, and the context in which knowledge sharing happens [8]. Reference [9] shows the person who expresses some meaning to someone, never produces exactly the intended effect in terms of understanding in the mind of the receptor. What may also happen is that the speaker finds it hard to put in words what he or she would like to share with the others. Attitude is a predictor of behavior and means the mental state of readiness or predisposition to influencing responses of evaluation directed to objects, people or groups. One base model which is linked to Systems Theory and theories of human communication. The model considers that the process of sharing knowledge is composed by four phases, characterized by specific actions in each phase. These actions were highlighted as compatible aspects with the role of leaders [10]. The required knowledge, knowledge sharing and organizational behavior are aspects associated with leadership and are intertwined with each other, but by means of the theories presented could lay the foundation for structuring and completion of this research. Item III, will detail the development of research presenting its methodology. III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This research used a qualitative approach in a case study, with an exploratory and descriptive focus. This case study helped understand more broadly and thoroughly the processes related to knowledge sharing in the company studied. In this case, given the nature of the problem and objectives presented before, it is believed that a qualitative Leadership and Knowledge Sharing: A Case Study Mônica Figueiredo de Melo, Zenólia Maria de Almeida, Ana Carolina Silva, Ana Beatriz de Souza Gomes Brandão, and Michelline Freire Moraes 187 DOI: 10.7763/JOEBM.2013.V1.40 Journal of Economics, Business and Management, Vol. 1, No. 2, May 2013