CHAPTER 5: Knowledge Transfer and Organizational Learning In Strategic Alliances

Knowledge management (KM) has occupied an increasingly important place in business affairs since its introduction during the early 1990s. The field has passed from an introductory phase to enter a certain state of maturity and is now proving its worth in firms that apply its principles and technologies (Despres & Chauvel, 2002; Rolland, 2001, 2002). KM, which is sought after by leading firms, has become a key topic in educational curricula and management development programs, and is a fixture in all the major consultancies. These developments are clearly rooted in shifting economic thought that recognizes knowledge as a primary factor of production and a source of competitive advantage. Firms are thus faced with the imperative of dealing intelligently with knowledge on a number of levels, including their own knowledge, their employees’ knowledge, competitors’ knowledge, public goods, proprietary goods, and so on. Without favoring any given approach, we generally view KM as a mindset that permeates a firm, leading to the conscious creation, use, and application of knowledge appropriate to its corporate context and strategic goals (Despres & Chauvel, 1999).