Social and Cultural Barriers for Knowledge Databases in Professional Service Firms

2011 ◽  
pp. 124-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georg Disterer
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Professional Service ◽  
One Dimension ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Professional Service Firms ◽  
Complex Problems ◽  
Innovative Solutions

Professional Service Firms (PSF), where professionals (consultants, lawyers, accountants, auditors, tax advisors, engineers ...) work, are interested in knowledge management, because their business is heavily dependent from the knowledge of their employees. Core asset is their ability to solve complex problems through creative and innovative solutions, the basis for this is their employees’ knowledge. Therefore, PSF are on the forefront of knowledge management. Experiences show that Information Technology (IT) is only one dimension of knowledge management, more important are social, cultural, and organizational dimensions.1

Impediments for Knowledge Sharing in Professional Service Firms

2005 ◽  
pp. 1391-1396
Author(s):  
Georg Disterer
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Professional Service ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Professional Service Firms ◽  
Complex Problems ◽  
Innovative Solutions

Professional service firms (PSFs), where professionals (consultants, lawyers, accountants, tax advisors, etc.) work, are interested in knowledge management, because their businesses are heavily dependent on the knowledge of their employees. A core asset is their ability to solve complex problems through creative and innovative solutions, and the basis for this is their employees’ knowledge. The “product” that PSFs offer their clients is knowledge (Kay, 2002; Ofek & Sarvary, 2001; Chait, 1999).

Knowledge Management in Professional Service Firms

2011 ◽  
pp. 1841-1850
Author(s):  
Dieter Fink ◽  
Georg Disterer
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
High Potential ◽  
Professional Service ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Professional Service Firms ◽  
Professional Groups ◽  
Capacity To Act ◽  
Market Pressures ◽  
War For Talent

For professional service firms, such as consultants, accountants, lawyers, architects, and engineers, knowledge is a capacity to act. Knowledge can be used to take action and to serve the client. As market pressures increase, so does the demand for securing and exploiting knowledge for the firm. In addition, a shortage of high-potential professional service providers has increased the ‘war for talent’ in which firms compete in employing the most talented professionals. These situations are exacerbated by the decrease in lifelong loyalty, a traditional value within professional groups, and the departure and retirement of professionals, often the most experienced ones.

Knowledge Management in Professional Service Firms

2011 ◽  
pp. 381-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dieter Fink ◽  
Georg Disterer
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
High Potential ◽  
Professional Service ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Professional Service Firms ◽  
Professional Groups ◽  
Capacity To Act ◽  
Market Pressures ◽  
War For Talent

For professional service firms, such as consultants, accountants, lawyers, architects, and engineers, knowledge is a capacity to act. Knowledge can be used to take action and to serve the client. As market pressures increase, so does the demand for securing and exploiting knowledge for the firm. In addition, a shortage of high-potential professional service providers has increased the ‘war for talent’ in which firms compete in employing the most talented professionals. These situations are exacerbated by the decrease in lifelong loyalty, a traditional value within professional groups, and the departure and retirement of professionals, often the most experienced ones.

The Role of Social Media in Knowledge Management

2017 ◽  
pp. 230-248
Author(s):  
Syed Afzal Moshadi Shah ◽  
Shehla Amjad
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Professional Service ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Professional Service Firms ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
The World ◽  
Knowledge Intensive

The purpose of this chapter is to highlight the importance of social media and theoretically link it with Knowledge Management (KM). A massive increase in social media usage around the world and its enhanced role in everyday life of employees offer enormous opportunities to businesses. One of the most important challenges that management faces in today's dynamic business environment is knowledge management. This becomes the key concern in professional service firms that are knowledge intensive in nature. The chapter discusses the association between social media and knowledge management. A theoretical model (SECI-SM) proposed by Shah, Khan, and Amjad (2013) is presented and discussed which is an extension of the seminal work of Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995). The model puts social media at the heart of knowledge management system and processes. It purports social media as an ideal vehicle for knowledge sharing and retaining. The chapter discusses the superiority of SECI-SM Model and lays out some useful suggestions for businesses.

Knowledge management and business strategy

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (9) ◽  
pp. 25-28
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Professional Service ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Professional Service Firms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Architectural Practice ◽  
Competitive Edge ◽  
The One

Purpose – To investigate attitudes towards knowledge management (KM) in creative professional service firms (PSFs) and explore the role of communities of practice as a way to leverage expertise within the firm. Design/methodology/approach – Presents a single-firm case study of a medium-sized architectural practice in New Zealand. Findings – There is an old country saying along the lines that “muck and money should be spread around if they are to do any good” – and the same could very well be said about knowledge. Knowledge is an essential tool for PSFs. In areas like architecture, software development or media, being able to bring together expert creative knowledge is what gives PSFs their competitive edge. Research limitations/implications – Suggests opportunities for further research to extend the generalizability of findings by extending the study to a greater number of creative PSFs in a range of countries. Practical implications – Proposes a framework linking KM strategies based on codification and personalization with the overall business strategy of the organization through the use of communities of practice (CoPs). Social implications – Highlights the importance of CoPs as a potential source of competitive advantage for creative PSFs whose success depends on shared expertise and leveraging the knowledge contained within the business. Originality/value – Demonstrates that personalization and codification strategies for KM can be combined, focusing on the one most appropriate to the overall business strategy and using the other in a supporting role.

Impediments for Knowledge Sharing in Professional Service Firms

2011 ◽  
pp. 1845-1850
Author(s):  
Georg Disterer
Keyword(s):  
Real Life ◽  
Professional Service ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Professional Service Firms ◽  
Professional Advice ◽  
Innovative Solutions ◽  
The World ◽  
Working Together ◽  
Valuable Thing ◽  
Holding Back

Professional service firms (PSFs), where professionals (consultants, lawyers, accountants, tax advisors, etc.) work, are interested in knowledge management because their businesses are heavily dependent on the knowledge of their employees. A core asset is their ability to solve complex problems through creative and innovative solutions, and the basis for this is their employees’ knowledge. The “product” that PSFs offer their clients is knowledge (Kay, 2002; Ofek & Sarvary, 2001; Chait, 1999). Sharing knowledge between colleagues improves the economical benefits a firm can realize from the knowledge of employees. This is especially true for PSFs (Huang, 1998; Quinn, Anderson, & Finkelstein, 1996), where broad ranges of knowledge must be kept to provide intellectual services, and real-life experiences with certain questions and situations are an important asset. The organizations and its members are spread over various offices across the country or the world. The necessity for sharing grows because the network of professionals in most cases can offer significantly better professional advice than any individual. “We sell knowledge… the most valuable thing we can offer is the collective, institutional knowledge of our firm” (Roger Siboni, KPMG executive, in Alavi, 1997, p. 1). Working together openly without holding back or protecting vital pieces of knowledge will result in more productivity and innovation than could be reached individually.

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