Loose coupling as an inhibitor of internal customer knowledge transfer: findings from an empirical study in B‐to‐B professional services

Purpose – The knowledge of inhibitors of internal customer knowledge transfer in b‐to‐b professional service organizations is still in its infancy. Previous literature on professional service organizations has focused on knowledge processes on a general level without paying closer attention to inhibitors of internal knowledge transfer. This study aims to contribute by increasing the knowledge of various inhibitors of customer‐related knowledge transfer and their influence on customer‐related knowledge utilization in collaborative customer relationships.Design/methodology/approach – The present empirical article is based on a case study of two professional service organizations in the field of business‐to‐business education and consultancy services. An in‐depth analysis of organizations developing collaborative relationships was conducted.Findings – This paper shows that internal fragmentation seems to be inherent in this type of organization, and may cause many problems in customer‐related knowledge trans...

[1]  John C. Narver,et al.  Market Orientation and the Learning Organization , 1995 .

[2]  James A. Roberts,et al.  Creating a partnership-oriented, knowledge creation culture in strategic sales alliances: a conceptual framework , 2003 .

[3]  Petteri Sivula.  Competing on knowledge from customers : strategic perspective on managing knowledge-intensive business service firms , 1997 .

[4]  Bente R. Løwendahl,et al.  Strategic Management of Professional Service Firms , 1997 .

[5]  Julian Birkinshaw,et al.  Special Issue: Knowledge, Knowing, and Organizations: Knowledge as a Contingency Variable: Do the Characteristics of Knowledge Predict Organization Structure? , 2002, Organ. Sci..

[6]  Thomas Kalling,et al.  Organisation-internal Transfer of Knowledge and the Role of Motivation. A Qualitative Study , 2003 .

[7]  W. Starbuck.  Learning by Knowledge-Intensive Firms , 1992 .

[8]  K. Weick,et al.  Loosely Coupled Systems: A Reconceptualization , 1990 .

[9]  Rita Gunther McGrath.  Exploratory Learning, Innovative Capacity, and Managerial Oversight , 2001 .

[10]  R. Yin.  Yin, Robert K., Case Study Research: Design and Methods, 2nd ed. Newbury Park, CA: Sage, 1994. , 1994 .

[11]  Jukka Ojasalo,et al.  Key account management at company and individual levels in business‐to‐business relationships , 2001 .

[12]  Heinz-Dieter Meyer.  From “loose coupling” to “tight management”? Making sense of the changing landscape in management and organization theory , 2002 .

[13]  Frans van den Bosch,et al.  Competence building by incorporating clients into development of a business service firm's knowledge base , 1996 .

[14]  Daniel A. Levinthal,et al.  ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY: A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON LEARNING AND INNOVATION , 1990 .

[15]  Jan van den Ende,et al.  Knowledge management in the professional organization: a model with application to CMG software testing , 2003 .

[16]  J. Jordan,et al.  Assessing your company's knowledge management style , 1997 .

[17]  Jan W. Rivkin,et al.  Balancing Search and Stability: Interdependencies Among Elements of Organizational Design , 2003, Manag. Sci..

[18]  John C. Narver,et al.  The Effect of a Market Orientation on Business Profitability , 1990 .

[19]  Lance D. Fusarelli.  Tightly coupled policy in loosely coupled systems: institutional capacity and organizational change , 2002 .

[20]  Robert D. Smith,et al.  Managing organizational knowledge as a strategic asset , 2001, J. Knowl. Manag..

[21]  Laura Empson,et al.  Introduction: Knowledge Management in Professional Service Firms , 2001 .

[22]  Jukka Ojasalo,et al.  Key Account Management in information-intensive services , 2002 .

[23]  David F Ballantyne,et al.  A relationship‐mediated theory of internal marketing , 2003 .

[24]  Wenpin Tsai.  Social Structure of Coopetition Within a Multiunit Organization: Coordination, Competition, and Intraorganizational Knowledge Sharing , 2002 .

[25]  Joanne Roberts.  From Know-how to Show-how? Questioning the Role of Information and Communication Technologies in Knowledge Transfer , 2000 .

[26]  Christian Homburg,et al.  A Configurational Perspective on Key Account Management , 2002 .

[27]  James A. Narus,et al.  Business Market Management: Understanding, Creating, and Delivering Value (Управление бизнес-рынками: понимание, создание и донесение ценности) , 1998 .

[28]  Swee C. Goh,et al.  Managing effective knowledge transfer: an integrative framework and some practice implications , 2002, J. Knowl. Manag..

[29]  J. March.  Exploration and exploitation in organizational learning , 1991, STUDI ORGANIZZATIVI.

[30]  Bernard J. Jaworski,et al.  Market orientation: The construct, research propositions, and managerial implications. , 1990 .

[31]  David T. Wilson,et al.  Implementing Relationship Strategy , 2000 .

[32]  G. Day.  Continuous Learning about Markets , 1994 .

[33]  Jukka Ojasalo,et al.  Managing customer expectations in professional services , 2001 .

[34]  Ross Dawson,et al.  Developing knowledge-based client relationships : the future of professional services , 2000 .

[35]  Customer Expertise , 2001 .

[36]  R. Yin.  Case Study Research: Design and Methods , 1984 .

[37]  Jan Mattsson,et al.  Relationships, the role of individuals and knowledge flows in the internationalisation of service firms , 2003 .

[38]  Alexandra J. Campbell.  Creating customer knowledge competence: managing customer relationship management programs strategically , 2003 .

[39]  Bente R. Løwendahl,et al.  Knowledge and Value Creation in Professional Service Firms: A Framework for Analysis , 2001 .

[40]  B. Frey,et al.  Motivation, Knowledge Transfer, and Organizational Forms , 2000 .

[41]  Stanley F. Slater,et al.  Intelligence generation and superior customer value , 2000 .

[42]  Jukka Ojasalo,et al.  Key network management , 2004 .

[43]  Aino Halinen,et al.  Customer knowledge transfer and key account management in professional service organizations , 2006 .

[44]  Davide Ravasi,et al.  Organising the process of knowledge integration: the benefits of structural ambiguity , 2001 .

[45]  Is leadership possible at loosely coupled organizations such as universities? , 1999 .

[46]  M. Saren,et al.  Competitive advantage, knowledge and relationship marketing: where, what and how? , 2004 .