Process and Structure in Knowledge Management Practices of British and US Multinational Enterprises

This chapter investigates three key issues: What determines the process of knowledge management? This process involves creating value from localized knowledge by combining spatially separate sources of knowledge. The firm needs to know where its knowledge assets and sources are located, and it needs to find a means of combining specific knowledge. What effect does the process of knowledge management have on the organizational structure of the firm? The organization structure can be investigated to show if it facilitates or inhibits the knowledge management process. The management imperative is to move towards structures that enhance knowledge combination. How are process and structure affected by the key local competence versus centralized global management divide within the multinational firm? Can we envisage ‘global’ solutions to the management of knowledge? The case studies below show that spatial issues are important in knowledge management practices and in potential organizational solutions. It also appears that successful strategies to combat knowledge ‘stickiness’ will involve combinations of local and global configurations of knowledge. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.