| Summary: | 博士 === 國立中山大學 === 企業管理學系研究所 === 97 === External knowledge is an important knowledge source for organizations. No matter how good external knowledge is, however, the contribution of external knowledge for organization would decrease if organizations can’t absorb the knowledge effectively. Unlike previous studies, this study applies the ‘communication chain’ perspective to investigate the process of organization’s acquisition and absorption of external knowledge. Consulting knowledge is chosen as the study subject of external knowledge. This study argues that consultant and internal lecturer constitute the communication chain of consulting knowledge. Consultants and internal lecturers’ capability of knowledge training and the capability link of knowledge training between consultants and internal lecturers will affect the effectiveness of organization’s absorption of consulting knowledge.
This study used triangulation approach to collect empirical data about how organizations acquire quality management knowledge through knowledge trainings provided by quality management (QM) consultants in Taiwan. First, this study did in-depth interviews with 10 QM consultants and 13 QM internal lecturers to collect qualitative data. Based on the data analysis of in-depth interviews and related literature, a questionnaire was developed and used to survey QM consultants and internal lecturers. A total number of 282 valid questionnaires, 47 QM consultants and 235 QM internal lecturers, were finally used to do statistical analysis. We combined and compared the findings of in-depth interviews and statistical analysis to answer research questions of this study.
The results showed that QM internal lecturers did ‘dual-knowledge learning’ in the communication chain of consulting knowledge and the capability of knowledge training was a combination of various sub-capabilities. QM internal lecturers’ capability of knowledge training, in general, was inferior to QM consultants’ capability of knowledge training. The main reasons resulting in the capability gap could be induced into three dimensions, including lecturer, trainee, and organization. The communication chain perspective provides an innovative and dynamic view to study organization’s acquisition and absorption of consulting knowledge. The findings of this study can make up theoretical or knowledge gaps existed in past studies of knowledge acquisition, absorptive capacity, organizational boundary spanner, consulting industry, and expert-novice study. In addition, the findings also provide some valuable management implications for organizations to absorb the consulting knowledge more effectively as well as for consultants or consulting firms to enhance the quality of their knowledge service.
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