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The purpose of this paper is to investigate how organizations focusing on employee-driven innovation (EDI) use information and communication technologies (ICT)-based tools in their innovation work. EDI involves systematic exploitation of knowledge resources in organizations. Thus, the role of ICT for efficient knowledge management is important in this respect.

In-depth interviews with employees, managers and union representatives from 20 organizations focusing on EDI were conducted. The sample included organizations from eight different industries, representing both private and public sectors.

The results show that ICT-based tools can support the processes of acquisition, dissemination and exploitation of knowledge, which are important aspects of EDI. However, use of ICT-based tools has to be aligned with organizational structures and professional role conduct to be efficient.

This study contributes to practice by highlighting several factors that organizations should emphasize to succeed with application of external and internal knowledge in their innovation work.

This study applies a knowledge management perspective on the role of ICT-based tools to support EDI in organizations. The findings contribute to an improved understanding of organizational conditions for succeeding with use of ICT-based tools in innovation work, and emphasize that perspectives on knowledge management, technology management and human resource management have to be combined to understand how EDI can be promoted by using ICT in organizations.

For knowledge exchange systems to yield best organizational benefits, it is acknowledged that employees have to both contribute with and apply system content. This may be of particular importance in distributed environments due to limitations in alternative channels for knowledge exchange. This study investigates the effects of the gap between contribution and application on the degree of knowledge exchange within and between organizational borders and work locations.

The study is based on survey data involving 2204 respondents from a large petroleum operator company and eight of its main contractors.

An increase in the gap between contribution and application is accompanied with reduced levels of knowledge exchange between organizational borders and work locations, but has no effects on knowledge exchange between employees of the same organization working at the same location. This is explained by the availability of substitute channels for local knowledge exchange.

Knowledge exchange systems research and practice have to focus on both knowledge contribution and knowledge application as fundamental processes, and should further consider organizational structure as an important factor.

Most research on contribution and application of content in knowledge exchange systems focuses on knowledge exchange within company boundaries. This study systematically investigates the effects of the gap between contribution and application of system content at different levels of organizational distribution, and thus extends existing research by introducing organizational distribution as a conditioning variable for successful knowledge management.

Virtual teams, understood as teams with geographically dispersed members communicating primarily by use of information and communication technologies (ICT), have become a viable form for work in innovation projects involving one or several organizations. Knowledge development and creation of a shared understanding among team members are often stressed as fundamental to successful innovation processes. This paper aims to address how use of ICT in team collaboration impacts on the creation of a shared understanding and knowledge development within the teams, and how these factors are important for organizations' innovation capabilities.

Based on a review of the literature, the paper discusses how modern ICT may impact on the organization of innovative activities and organizations' innovation capabilities.

Several important factors related to the use of ICT in teams working on innovation projects are highlighted. A conceptual model and directions for future research based on a literature review are proposed.

Based on the discussion, a conceptual model is presented which highlights the need for well‐functioning computer‐mediated team interaction in order to realize the innovation potential of organizations.

The paper emphasizes the reciprocal significance of knowledge access and knowledge exploitation for organizations' innovation capabilities, and discusses how ICT impacts on both aspects.