The boundaries in the area of knowledge transfer in management consulting

Costa, Renato Lopes da; António, Nelson; Sampaio, Marta; Miguel, Isabel

doi:10.1590/1806-9649.2020v28e4956

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Sumário

ORIGINAL ARTICLE • Gest. Prod. 28 (1) • 2021 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-9649.2020v28e4956 copy

The boundaries in the area of knowledge transfer in management consulting

Os fluxos de fronteira no campo da transferência de conhecimentos em consultoria de gestão

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract:

In a historical retrospective, although the existing literature calls the management consulting industry an extraordinary sector and a unique phenomenon in the business context, in fact these statements are not accompanied by a number of academic studies that emphasize the importance of the effective work of the management consultants. To contest the lack of studies in this emerging area, this article aims to understand the implications of the border to the transfer of information and knowledge from management consultants to their client companies. The results of the empirical analysis in the form of semi-structured interviews and questionnaires applied to management consultants and SME managers in Portugal reveal that the competency factor must be based on the four knowledge families of business management - the know- know, the competence, know-how and know-how to be and it is only from this conjugation that any kind of constraints that can be found along the way (political, physical or cultural) are able to be unblocked.

Keywords:
Management consulting, Knowledge transfer; Strategy-as-practice

Content Analysis - Interviews
Interviewee	Interviewee	Interviewee	Sub Categoria
Consultant 1	To assess consultant would introduce there the variable competence.	1.1	1.1.4
Consultant 6	So he separated the next. From the point of view of the practices on the one hand there is the competence aspect of the consultant personally, and good procedural practices. If we look at the variable of competencies, then there I believe an excellent power of communication.	1.1	1.1.5
Consultant 3	Then we enter the various subject areas of the company. That is why we have the quality systems, which the company usually does not have, feel this need, or through the market, or through the strategy, or through its positioning, to bring and acquire this set of skills. So you get someone who can do that work.	1.0
Manager 3	Then what is more normal, that they bring us the skills that we do not develop internally.	1.0
Manager 2	We can see if there are any flaws. And from there if we detect a fault we lose confidence. So above all in this type of projects, effectively the competence and technical capabilities for safety.	1.1	1.1.5
Manager 6	Therefore, what could improve was without doubt a better use of people's competence and focus specifically on those areas where they are experts.	1.4	1.4.1

Content Analysis - Interviews
Interviewee	Interviewee	Interviewee	Interviewee
Consultant 1	Of course there are some constraints that arise, even if you can not consider them as barriers. The way you approach a given problem with the customer or how the data is exposed may in some way create some problem, now constraints related to physical barriers do not exist. The presence of the consultant for example in the company is agreed with each client. If, for example, there are meetings. In cultural terms there have never been any problems ... That is, there is always a need to adapt to the client.	I.2	I.2.3
Consultant 3	At the level of organizational culture and knowledge culture, there may also be obstacles here. That is, I transmitted a certain message, and by the cultural level of the person and the knowledge of it is not properly understood, and therefore, we will have a skewed result. These kinds of constraints exist with some frequency ... But I would say it's all a matter of message.	I.2	I.2.3
Consultant 4	This does not know if it damages the flow of information, because it depends on the culture of the organization itself. Above all, the consultant has to be a flexible person, who knows very well who is on the other side.	I.2	I.2.3
Consultant 6	From the cultural point of view, I think it is up to the consultant to adapt himself to the local culture. Either he has this ability or there will be constraints	I.2	I.2.3
Manager 4	The result does not believe it is affected. But there are several anecdotes about the consultant. This is always seen as someone coming in from the outside, but I do not think it has any influence in terms of providing information.	I.2	I.2.3
Manager 5	Using the analogy that if people do not speak the same language is very complicated (culture).	I.2	I.2.3
Manager 1	Cultural barriers I do not think so. There is a lack of knowledge of our business. Because each client has a specificity.	I.2	I.2.3

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