Models for understanding the dynamics of organizational knowledge in consulting firms

Some consulting firms are implementing processes and technologies that transform individual experience into organizational knowledge, preserve it, and make it available to their employees. Advocates of knowledge management believe that these practices accelerate collective learning, improve competitiveness, and facilitate response to market changes. This paper uses a systems approach to understand knowledge management practices in the context of one prominent consulting firm. It incorporates influences that affect the firm and its ability to sustain knowledge, including staff departures, market shifts, and technological innovation. Knowledge managers must understand the dynamics imparted by these influences to ensure the future of the firm.