Knowledge Transfer: Managerial Practices Underlying One Piece of the Learning Organization

"Knowledge management " is something of a fad in today’s business press. At the same time, it addresses key issues that can lead to success within organizations. Knowledge management addressed how organizations can manage the knowledge embedded in its systems, and contained in the heads of its employees. It also systematically considers how advanced information technology can be used to leverage existing knowledge and create new knowledge. This essay discusses one aspect of knowledge management, knowledge transfer: how to move good ideas from one part of an organization to others that can use the information. The Growing Importance of Knowledge Transfer Knowledge transfer has always been a challenge for organizations. Its importance has grown in recent decades for three related reasons. First, knowledge appears to be an increasing proportion of many organizations ’ total assets.1 Second, organizations have moved away from hierarchical methods of control toward more decentralized organizational structures and increased employee involvement (Levine, 1995.). This has resulted in more creativity by frontline employees and subunits, bu