How Management Consulting Creates Knowledge

摘要

Management consulting firms are the archetypes of knowledge-intensive firms. However, the subject of knowledge creation potential that can be activated through management consulting interventions still remains a largely unexplored research area. This article adopts a knowledge perspective for interpreting management consulting and proposes a conceptual mapping of the knowledge creation potential which can be activated trough management consulting projects. The proposed model highlights that this potential lies in the possibility of creating not only explicit, but also (and mainly) new tacit knowledge. The proposed conceptual framework may enable both clients and consulting firms to more consciously establish knowledge creation goals, to more effectively manage their cooperative learning dynamics, and to evaluate the cognitive value (together with the economic value) of the consulting intervention results.