Mining and undermining knowledge: A dialectical analysis of knowledge management in a professional services firm.

摘要

It is widely agreed that the knowledge era is upon us. An organization's ability to create, retain, and transfer knowledge has been recognized as a critical competitive advantage. The research on knowledge management as an integral part of organizational life, however, remains fragmented and incomplete. In particular, while communication is often touted as an important part of knowledge management, scholars have not offered a way of understanding knowledge management that is grounded in communication practices. This study introduces a dialectical lens as a particularly effective means for understanding knowledge management and for surfacing the central role of communication in knowledge management processes.; This case study of a renowned professional services firm was conducted over more than six months. Interviews and observations in one regional office provided the bulk of the data. Dialectical tensions emerged from the data which corresponded with many of the contradictions and inconsistencies inherent in the existing literature. Four tensions were ultimately identified: Hierarchy/Equality, Homogeneity/Heterogeneity, Group/Individual, and Social/Technical. It is argued that these tensions derive from both structural and cultural mechanisms and are continually manifested in communication practices which serve to create a balance between the poles of each tension.; This study advances our understanding of knowledge management in a number of ways. First, it suggests the tensions which must exist in a world-class knowledge-intensive firm. Second, it posits the importance of balance between the poles of these tensions for the organization to achieve and sustain highly effective knowledge management processes. Third, it highlights the role of communication in knowledge management processes by identifying specific communication practices which support effective knowledge management processes and linking those processes with the precarious balance of the required tensions.; Using this dialectical lens, this study contextualizes knowledge management as a communication phenomena and predicates its effectiveness on the organizational member's attempts to manage the dilemmas inherent in knowledge management firms. As knowledge-intensive work becomes ubiquitous, scholars of communication have an important role to play in framing our understanding of the knowledge era and its impact on organizations and organizational life.