University of Sussex
Browse

File(s) not publicly available

Managing knowledge in international consulting firms

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 14:44 authored by Tina C Ambos, Bodo B Schlegelmilch
Purpose – At the pinnacle of the knowledge management hype, international consulting firms were widely viewed as the undisputed champions of the discipline. They were the ones that pioneered the development of innovative knowledge management systems, they were at the forefront of creating knowledge management cultures and they recognized the productive potential of knowledge workers. While knowledge continues to be prominent on the strategic agenda of leading consulting firms, several knowledge management challenges remain unsolved. To shed light on this matter the paper aims to investigate how knowledge management is really embedded in their organizations and with which critical issues these firms still struggle . Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents a qualitative empirical study based on 37 in-depth interviews with representatives from international consulting firms in different locations around the world. Findings – It is found that the promise of knowledge management can only be realized if people are open to changing business processes and adopt new ways of thinking. Practical implictions – The study sheds fresh light on the knowledge management practices that have emerged in the consulting industry, and provides insights into the interplay of people and systems, the structuring of knowledge management, the divide between knowledge generalists and specialists, and the knowledge management strategy. Originality/value – The paper presents a general approach to embedding knowledge management along the dimensions of people, systems and business processes and develops an integrative framework that links knowledge management strategies to a typical consulting project cycle. In addition, it sheds light on individual perceptions on the benefits from knowledge management.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

Journal of Knowledge Management

ISSN

1367-3270

Publisher

Emerald

Issue

6

Volume

13

Page range

491-508

Department affiliated with

  • Business and Management Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2013-04-19

Usage metrics

    University of Sussex (Publications)

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC