The Facilitative Power of Visual Artifacts for Knowledge Sharing in Client-consultant Interactions

Abstract

This study examines knowledge sharing in consultant-client interactions in Professional Services Firms (PSF). It focuses on how visual artifacts such as presentation slides and sketches facilitate knowledge sharing. Knowledge sharing is a prerequisite for knowledge creation which is crucial for the PSF survival and highly depends on interactions with clients. Visual artifacts support interactions but their effect on knowledge sharing has not been empirically investigated. A qualitative study at the global brand management consultancy Interbrand was conducted over 12- months conducting observations and 30 interviews with consultants. The results show sketches superior to presentation slides for knowledge sharing, but also show the potency of presentation slides. Presentation slides were mentioned to create cognition- based trust only, presentation slides and sketches were mentioned to jointly create cognition-based and affect-based trust, and sketches were mentioned to benefit several categories of successful knowledge sharing. Tentative contributions to the field of knowledge management suggest five propositions regarding the effects of visual artifacts on knowledge sharing, and to distributed cognition proposing that visual artifacts characteristics affect their knowledge sharing abilities. The findings are vital for scholars in professional services and consultants to improve understanding of how visual artifacts offer facilitative opportunities for knowledge sharing in interpersonal consultant-client interactions.