Knowledge Exchanges in the Global Organization – Learning from the Genius of Al-Biruni

Abstract

The post-industrial organization is typically knowledge-intensive and collaborative, without which success is not possible. Its key processes involve bringing teams across organizations (vendors, clients, sub-contractors, service providers, suppliers etc) together in order to share and create knowledge. This paper posits that knowledge exchange across boundaries is not new and we could learn from history. The historical works of Abu Rayhan Al-Biruni (973-1048AD), a Persian polymath scholar who made significant contributions in diverse fields of study, were examined using frameworks of knowledge assets and knowledge flows. The knowledge flows of knowledge assets were plotted and studied using Boisot's I- space model and the knowledge transfer to and from Al-Biruni was studied using Gupta and Govindarajan's knowledge transfer framework. The factors that have contributed to the tremendous achievements in scholarship by the genius of Al- Biruni were found to be the possession of multiple intelligences, a balance of wisdom with an ability to positively influence his environment and a strong value system within which he operated. The research suggests that possessing multiple intelligences and a balance in wisdom enables the people involved in multi-national, cross-cultural and cross- lingual knowledge transfer to be able to give better form and structure to knowledge enabling easier and better knowledge diffusion.