Managerial Benefit and Knowledge Search

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This paper examines the behavior of individual managers in knowledge and information seeking and transfer capacities. The basic principles that examined are:

1. Considering the internal versus external behavior of managers;

2. Focusing on the relational aspects of seeking and transfer; and

3. Measuring the derived managerial benefits

121 practicing managers in an executive MBA course were surveyed to examine the actions of organizational members who utilize both internal and external sources for knowledge/informtion in the performance of their job.

Summary of results:

  • Managers have a preference for external sources over internal ones.
  • Managers use internal, known knowledge search to enhance their reputation and status.
  • Known sources within a manager's business unit contributed to a manager's internal impact.
  • A manager's internal impact contributed to a larger overall managerial benefit.
  • Knowledge gained from securing of K/I from unknown sources within the corporation and from external-known and unknown sources all improve the managerial benefit.

[edit] Abstract

A conceptual model of knowledge/information (K/I) search and transfer was developed; it was based on three concepts: managers’ preferences for internal versus external sources, the importance of relationships between sources and recipients, and the derived managerial benefit. The results of an empirical study demonstrated a high degree of explained variance in managerial benefit and suggested managers’ preferences for external sources over internal ones. They also supported the notion that managers use internal, known knowledge search to enhance their reputation and status. These results suggested a shift away from the conventional wisdom of internal preference that is reflected in theories of in-group favoritism and out-group derogation.

[edit] Paper Information

Authors: William King, William Leske

Check out this paper at Deriving Managerial Benefit from Knowledge Search: A Paradigm Shift?

This article was originally published in Information & Management, Vol 43, Num 7, 2006.

[edit] Keywords

Knowledge transfer, Knowledge search, Knowledge management, Knowledge seeking, External versus internal sources, Knowledge acquisition, Knowledge selection

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