In the example in (7.2.4.3) An example Strategy for new employees, members of your company and members of your volunteer group do not exchange knowledge. Such stagnation of knowledge flow often occurs. Especially when there is an organization wall, flow of knowledge is easy to be disrupted. (*19)
Smoothing the flow is often accompanied by economic value. Therefore, a strategy is possible that creates value by making knowledge flow across multiple organizations.
This is similar to a trader. Traders purchase goods that are easy to obtain in a certain area, and bring them to another area that is difficult to obtain, and sell it. By doing this mutually, we encourage the distribution of goods and make profits. In the same way, it is the trade trader of knowledge that acquires knowledge in one organization, brings that knowledge to another organization and uses it to create value. (*20)
When you are a trader of knowledge, knowledge and its demand will concentrate on yourself. It is an image through which knowledge flows in that pipe as it becomes a pipe that penetrates the wall(*21). However, there are major differences from pipes such as crude oil. That is, knowledge can be duplicated. If you make your knowledge flow in yourself, copies of knowledge will accumulate in yourself and gradually increase your own value.
Hurdles may feel high to belong to multiple organizations. Suppose, a joint team is formed with a person outside the company and a joint project is to be carried out as your company work. This is an opportunity to be a trader. If you communice with people only inside the company, the chances will not be utilized. On the other hand, if you communicate with people outside the company and exchange knowledge, you can create value as a trader even after the project.
As another form, volunteer activities other than work is effective. I introduced this also in (7.2.4.3) An example Strategy for new employees. Volunteer management is more difficult than work. If members work with salary paid, the members try to endure even if they are somewhat dissatisfied because they do not want to lose salary. On the other hand, volunteers are moving with zeal instead of salary. So it is easy to see if something goes wrong. This is a good thing. If you compare it to a programming language, it is like the error message is displayed. In order to improve learning efficiency, it is better to show immediately as soon as something different from the ideal occurs.
Providing consulting services to other companies in the form of technical consultants or the like may be one form. As a common problem of those who do business of this sort, I hear the story “I spend too much time to output knowledge and there are no time to make new inputs.” If you are carrying business that exchanges knowledge with money, money increase but knowledge will not increase. If you do not get new knowledge through the activities, you got disadvantage compared to those who have continued to learn.
I also learned about the erroneous mental model that causes this in (6.3.4) You can learn from anyone. It is a mental model that people with a lot of knowledge tell people with little knowledge, the flow of information is one direction. It is better not to divide into a teaching role and a teaching role, but to teach each other and to obtain a mutual benefit.
- Note 19: We are talking about different organizations here. But if there is little overlap in knowledge, it is difficult to have a conversation. So distribution between people with different expertise tends to stagnate even within the same organization.
- Note 20: In 1977, management scholar Michael L. Tushman referred to people who mediate information between inside and outside the organization as boundary spanners.
- Tushman, M. L. (1977). “Special boundary roles in the innovation process”. Administrative science quarterly, 22(4), 587-605.
- Note 21: There are several case be considered, to connect inside and outside of an organization, to connect multiple organizations or to connect multiple sections in an organization.