CAPTURING KNOWLEDGE AND KNOWING: WHAT MANAGERS CAN LEARN FROM THE THORACIC SURGERY BOARD CERTIFICATION PROCESS.

Abstract

Management scholars and professionals continue to struggle with effective processes for measuring highly specialized knowledge. This challenge is becoming more critical as firms attempt to develop and extend core competencies, pursue growth strategies through mergers and acquisitions, and develop technological competencies. Particularly in professional service firms and high-tech firms, knowledge residing in human capital is complex, critical to achieving competitive advantage, and difficult to measure and manage. Based on recent conceptualizations of knowledge and knowing as action, we explore how knowledge is assessed and measured in a discipline that has a long and rich history of measuring complex, specialized knowledge: the medical specialty of thoracic surgery. Our in-depth exploration of the three-pronged approach of the thoracic surgery board certification process reveals important insights into assessing and developing knowledge in organizations. Four key lessons were learned. First, a systematic, institutionalized process of knowledge assessment conducted by an upper echelons team is important to determine the knowledge to be measured, and to diffuse critical knowledge. Second, foundational knowledge must be defined and measured prior to individual or group efforts to obtain or create specialized knowledge within an organization. Third, in attempting to measure knowledge in organizations, multiple measurement tools must be employed to tap into four types of knowledge (individual/explicit; individual/tacit; group/explicit; group/tacit). Finally, an organization must create a generative dance of knowledge and knowing as action to generate new levels of knowledge.