The role of knowledge transfer in change-management: An Australian case example

The role of knowledge management (KM) in change-management is an issue of contemporary interest, given the recognition of explicit and tacit, individual and collective, knowledge as significant contributors to organizational growth and competitiveness (Prahalad & Hamel 1990; Wheelright & Clark 1992; Teece 1998). In association with clear change-management objectives; targeted and ongoing communication to these to stakeholders; appropriate human resource management implementation strategies; and comprehensive evaluation techniques, KM has the potential to facilitate the acheivement of the desired change-management goals (Kirkpatrick and Hawk 2006). This paper explores the change-management strategy adopted by a large Australian services organization, which was primarily driven through technological change and a significant knowledge transfer initiative, but without the accordant strategic objectives, communication and participatory mechanisms, HRM processes, or ongoing evaluation systems suggested in the relevant literature. It reveals teh limitations of knowledge transfer alone in ensuring the effective implementation of the desired organizational change, and suggests ways in which it might be better integrated with other strategies and processes.