In a society dependent on knowledge, information and information technology (IT), studying IT-oriented knowledge intensive firms becomes particularly interesting. Previous research has for the most part studied management consulting firms as well as how knowledge management and knowledge management initiatives can support or inhibit the growth of organizations. To further progress this line of research the study intends to fill a gap in research concerning consultants focusing on IT-solutions. Consequently, this study has two equally important purposes. Firstly, the study intends to investigate the application of Ikujiro Nonaka’s Organizational Knowledge Creation Theory on new empirical data. Secondly, this study aims to explain learning processes in the IT-consulting trade. The empirical data used is taken from eight interviews and three qualitative surveys from three different IT-consulting firms in Sweden. By using a multiple-case study design this study simultaneously presents a broad perspective of the IT-consulting trade and a deeper understanding of the knowledge sharing processes used in the different cases. The study has resulted in three major conclusions. (1) There are different types of digital tools that are important for knowledge sharing in organizations. These are digital conversation-rooms, digital pin boards and internal databases. (2) The authors also identify six conditions that are important for knowledge sharing. These conditions are proven to have a complex relationship with the context in which knowledge is shared and the consultants’ choice of digital tools. (3) Lastly the Organizational Knowledge Creation Theory is found to be insufficient in describing the knowledge sharing processes in IT-consulting firms, especially regarding the relation between the socialization and externalization processes. Proposals for future research in relation to the findings are presented.

Ao se visualizar o mundo organizacional nas últimas duas décadas, nos deparamos com um conjunto de organizações que aparecem em posição de destaque. As empresas de consultoria organizacional despontam como uns dos setores mais dinâmicos do período. Assim sendo, o presente estudo pretende contribuir com o entendimento do processo de crescimento do mercado de consultorias, suas formas de atuação e o relacionamento com as demais organizações, a partir de três pontos de referência. Num primeiro momento, enfocando o mercado de consultoria internacional, procurando identificar suas características, principais mudanças nas últimas décadas e as especificidades do setor no Brasil. Na segunda parte, enfoco as mudanças no espaço empresarial e gerencial no decorrer do período. O conjunto tem a função de ser uma forma de visualizar a atuação dos quadros gerenciais frente às novas configurações e demandas organizacionais, formadas a partir dos anos oitenta, e um contraponto ao ideário oriundo das consultorias. Como outro elemento componente da construção desta pesquisa, busca-se discutir as formas e os mecanismos de difusão de idéias gerências e os diversos setores envolvidos no processo, focalizando a atuação das empresas de consultoria e sua ligação com demais setores do campo de venda de novidades organizacionais, em especial a imprensa de negócios. A escolha pretende contribuir para o entendimento das relações empresas – consultorias, partindo da questão da difusão de novas referências gerenciais. / When visualizing the world organizational in the last two decades, we came across a group of organizations that appear in prominence position. The consulting firms blunt as some of the most dynamic sections of the period. Like this being, the present study intends to contribute with the understanding of the process of growth of the consulting market, your forms of performance and the relationship with the other organizations, starting from three point of reference. In a first moment, focusing the market of international consulting, trying to identify your characteristics, main changes in the last decades and the specificities of the section in Brazil. In the second it leaves, I focus the changes in the managerial and managerial space in elapsing of the period. The group has the function of being a form of visualizing the performance of the pictures managerial front to the new configurations, formed starting from the eighties, and a counterpoint to the ideas originating from of the consulting firms. As other component element of the construction of this research, is looked for to discuss the forms and the mechanisms of diffusion of ideas managements and the several sections involved in the process, focalizing the performance of the consulting firms and your connection with other sections of the field of sale of organizational innovations, especially the press of businesses. The choice intends to contribute for the understanding of the relationships companies – consulting firms, leaving of the subject of the diffusion of new managerial references.

Ao se visualizar o mundo organizacional nas últimas duas décadas, nos deparamos com um conjunto de organizações que aparecem em posição de destaque. As empresas de consultoria organizacional despontam como uns dos setores mais dinâmicos do período. Assim sendo, o presente estudo pretende contribuir com o entendimento do processo de crescimento do mercado de consultorias, suas formas de atuação e o relacionamento com as demais organizações, a partir de três pontos de referência. Num primeiro momento, enfocando o mercado de consultoria internacional, procurando identificar suas características, principais mudanças nas últimas décadas e as especificidades do setor no Brasil. Na segunda parte, enfoco as mudanças no espaço empresarial e gerencial no decorrer do período. O conjunto tem a função de ser uma forma de visualizar a atuação dos quadros gerenciais frente às novas configurações e demandas organizacionais, formadas a partir dos anos oitenta, e um contraponto ao ideário oriundo das consultorias. Como outro elemento componente da construção desta pesquisa, busca-se discutir as formas e os mecanismos de difusão de idéias gerências e os diversos setores envolvidos no processo, focalizando a atuação das empresas de consultoria e sua ligação com demais setores do campo de venda de novidades organizacionais, em especial a imprensa de negócios. A escolha pretende contribuir para o entendimento das relações empresas – consultorias, partindo da questão da difusão de novas referências gerenciais. / When visualizing the world organizational in the last two decades, we came across a group of organizations that appear in prominence position. The consulting firms blunt as some of the most dynamic sections of the period. Like this being, the present study intends to contribute with the understanding of the process of growth of the consulting market, your forms of performance and the relationship with the other organizations, starting from three point of reference. In a first moment, focusing the market of international consulting, trying to identify your characteristics, main changes in the last decades and the specificities of the section in Brazil. In the second it leaves, I focus the changes in the managerial and managerial space in elapsing of the period. The group has the function of being a form of visualizing the performance of the pictures managerial front to the new configurations, formed starting from the eighties, and a counterpoint to the ideas originating from of the consulting firms. As other component element of the construction of this research, is looked for to discuss the forms and the mechanisms of diffusion of ideas managements and the several sections involved in the process, focalizing the performance of the consulting firms and your connection with other sections of the field of sale of organizational innovations, especially the press of businesses. The choice intends to contribute for the understanding of the relationships companies – consulting firms, leaving of the subject of the diffusion of new managerial references.

<p>Professionals currently working in consulting firms and job-applicants aiming to work in this industry are very often finding themselves in a situation where they experience a skill-gap regarding the skills consulting firms have claimed as the must-have ones. Confusion about which are those skills has increased since from academics to professionals, from researchers to higher education institutions and from students and graduates to job-searchers, they all have a different understanding of which ones are those skills. In fact even from one consulting firm to the next one the skills differ. Moreover current and available literature is yet to explore deeper the project teams working for consulting firms in order to grasp a real understanding and easy identification of these skills, since studies so far have provided mixed set of skills for traditional project teams rather than for consulting project-teams leading to mixed discoveries and inconclusive results. The findings in this study provide support for a controversial discussion occurring when trying to identify the skills consultants affirm their employer require and how these companies acquire, foster and retain these skills.</p>

<p> </p><p>Knowledge is considered nowadays as the main source of competitive advantage and, therefore, its appropriate application has been gaining great attention. The present study focuses on the use of integrative mechanisms in consulting firms as part of the knowledge application process during the action-planning stage of projects. Concepts such as knowledge, types of knowledge and Knowledge Management processes are clarified and then developed in a consulting firm context, in order to identify the advantages and disadvantages that this type of project-based organisations has due to the important role that knowledge plays in the consulting process. Furthermore, two main paradigms of Knowledge Management in consulting firms are developed based on a synthesis of the relevant literature. Next, different views of Knowledge Integration are exposed and the four mechanisms for Knowledge Integration proposed by Grant are assigned to each paradigm. These paradigms are used as theoretical base for the research and as selection criteria of two representative consulting firms, which constitute the unit of analysis of a qualitative study, which aims to rank the importance of the above mentioned Knowledge Integration mechanisms in the action-planning stage of the consulting project life-cycle.</p><p> </p><p>The research approach is deductive and subjective in terms of ontology. Critical realism more closely represents the study in terms of epistemology and the main sample characteristics are non-probabilistic, purposive and heterogeneous. The data are collected through surveys and semi-structured interviews and are analysed following a commonly accepted qualitative data analysis method.</p><p> </p><p>The study results regard the ranking of the four integrative mechanisms in terms of their usefulness during the action-planning stage of consulting projects. The results cannot be generalised due to the sample characteristics but they qualitatively reflect the importance of mechanisms for integration of knowledge in these two firms during this particular stage. By doing so, the study implies that, although the two consulting firms represent different paradigms of Knowledge Management, they have a similar predisposition to give priority to a certain Knowledge Integration mechanism against another.</p>

Knowledge is considered nowadays as the main source of competitive advantage and, therefore, its appropriate application has been gaining great attention. The present study focuses on the use of integrative mechanisms in consulting firms as part of the knowledge application process during the action-planning stage of projects. Concepts such as knowledge, types of knowledge and Knowledge Management processes are clarified and then developed in a consulting firm context, in order to identify the advantages and disadvantages that this type of project-based organisations has due to the important role that knowledge plays in the consulting process. Furthermore, two main paradigms of Knowledge Management in consulting firms are developed based on a synthesis of the relevant literature. Next, different views of Knowledge Integration are exposed and the four mechanisms for Knowledge Integration proposed by Grant are assigned to each paradigm. These paradigms are used as theoretical base for the research and as selection criteria of two representative consulting firms, which constitute the unit of analysis of a qualitative study, which aims to rank the importance of the above mentioned Knowledge Integration mechanisms in the action-planning stage of the consulting project life-cycle.   The research approach is deductive and subjective in terms of ontology. Critical realism more closely represents the study in terms of epistemology and the main sample characteristics are non-probabilistic, purposive and heterogeneous. The data are collected through surveys and semi-structured interviews and are analysed following a commonly accepted qualitative data analysis method.   The study results regard the ranking of the four integrative mechanisms in terms of their usefulness during the action-planning stage of consulting projects. The results cannot be generalised due to the sample characteristics but they qualitatively reflect the importance of mechanisms for integration of knowledge in these two firms during this particular stage. By doing so, the study implies that, although the two consulting firms represent different paradigms of Knowledge Management, they have a similar predisposition to give priority to a certain Knowledge Integration mechanism against another.

Professionals currently working in consulting firms and job-applicants aiming to work in this industry are very often finding themselves in a situation where they experience a skill-gap regarding the skills consulting firms have claimed as the must-have ones. Confusion about which are those skills has increased since from academics to professionals, from researchers to higher education institutions and from students and graduates to job-searchers, they all have a different understanding of which ones are those skills. In fact even from one consulting firm to the next one the skills differ. Moreover current and available literature is yet to explore deeper the project teams working for consulting firms in order to grasp a real understanding and easy identification of these skills, since studies so far have provided mixed set of skills for traditional project teams rather than for consulting project-teams leading to mixed discoveries and inconclusive results. The findings in this study provide support for a controversial discussion occurring when trying to identify the skills consultants affirm their employer require and how these companies acquire, foster and retain these skills.

There will always be a need for consulting engineering services in industry. In the engineering consulting fraternity, employees are the key valuable assets and this study addresses how the professional employees’ skills can be managed and structured in such a manner that they contribute efficiently to the daily operation of the consulting engineering firms. The core business of the consulting engineering firms is to sell or offer engineering or technical solutions to their clients and this can be successfully recognised by integrating the firm’s different engineering disciplines into projects teams that are able to implement specific projects allocated to them. Leaders in these teams are expected to have proficiency to identify individuals’ skills and talents that can be incorporated into a specific project team. At a strategic level, firms’ mangers should consider developing skills development plans that takes into consideration a combination of academic training, professional training and practical employee training. As soon as a skills development plan is in place, it is easier for it to be implemented at the operational level under the supervision of team leaders who are responsible for the continuing professional development of individual team members. The aim of this study was to determine the various business and technological strategies applied by consulting engineering firms while tendering and competing for project work in the country. The consulting engineering industry is highly competitive; managers of these firms must be properly equipped with both technical and management skills in order that they may survive in this industry. A probability sample of 44 engineering consultants was drawn from consulting engineers in two areas of South Africa, namely, North West Province and Eastern Cape Province, which have a total of 140 consultants. 22% of the respondents offered electrical engineering services, followed by the civil engineering services that form 16.7% of the respondents. The structural and mechanical engineering followed at 13.9% and 11.1% respectively. Chemical engineering and architecture were both at 5.6%. Some of the findings of this study were that managers of the consulting engineering firms must be equipped with communication competencies as well as emotional intelligence and self-management competencies, because, although consultants are highly technically skilled, they lack business and human skills. Part of the recommendations are that there is a need for the consulting engineering firm to upload a succinct synopsis of their services on their company websites, which will help promote the value of their services to their clients. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

by Lee Chi-Ho. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 85). / ABSTRACT --- p.i / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.ii / "LIST OF FIGURES, TABLES & APPENDIX" --- p.vi / Chapter PART I --- INTRODUCTION / Chapter 1. --- INTRODUCTION / Chapter 1.1 --- COMPANY BACKGROUND --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- PROJECT OBJECTIVES --- p.3 / Chapter 1.3 --- SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY --- p.4 / Chapter 1.4 --- SCOPE OF THE PROJECT --- p.4 / Chapter 1.5 --- ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK --- p.5 / Chapter 1.6 --- RESEARCH METHOD --- p.6 / Chapter 1.61 --- Data Sources --- p.6 / Chapter 1.62 --- Research Limitations --- p.7 / Chapter PART II --- PROFILE REPORTS / Chapter 2. --- SERVICE PROFILE / Chapter 2.1 --- SERVICE SCOPE --- p.8 / Chapter 2.11 --- Retail Establishment --- p.8 / Chapter 2.12 --- Market Entry --- p.9 / Chapter 2.13 --- "Advertising, Promotional & Editorial Campaign" --- p.10 / Chapter 2.2 --- PRICING OF SERVICES --- p.12 / Chapter 2.21 --- Project-based Fee vs. Retainer Fee --- p.12 / Chapter 2.22 --- Ad-hoc Projects/Events --- p.13 / Chapter 2.23 --- Advertising & Media Placement --- p.13 / Chapter 2.3 --- MARKETING EXPENSES --- p.13 / Chapter 2.4 --- PROFIT POTENTIAL --- p.14 / Chapter 2.5 --- SERVICE STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES --- p.15 / Chapter 3. --- MARKET PROFILE / Chapter 3.1 --- MARKET CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CONSULTING INDUSTRY --- p.16 / Chapter 3.11 --- The Consulting Industry --- p.16 / Chapter 3.12 --- The Marketing Consulting Business --- p.17 / Chapter 3.13 --- Implications to Small-scaled Marketing Consulting Firm --- p.18 / Chapter 3.2 --- MARKET TRENDS IN HONG KONG: THE NEED FOR MARKETING CONSULTING --- p.19 / Chapter 3.3 --- MARKET'S SPENDING HABITS --- p.20 / Chapter 3.4 --- MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS --- p.20 / Chapter 3.41 --- Dependence on the Retail Environment --- p.20 / Chapter 3.42 --- Business Opportunities at the Higher-ended Consumer Brand Market --- p.21 / Chapter 4. --- COMPETITIVE PROFILE / Chapter 4.1 --- TMM'S RELATIVE STANDING --- p.23 / Chapter 4.2 --- TMM VS. ADVERTISING AGENCY --- p.24 / Chapter 4.21 --- Difference in Pricing Structure --- p.24 / Chapter 4.22 --- Competitive Strengths of TMM Over Advertising Agency --- p.25 / Chapter 4.3 --- THE THREAT OF SUBSTITUTION --- p.26 / Chapter 5. --- CLIENT PROFILE / Chapter 5.1 --- CLIENT PROFILE --- p.27 / Chapter 5.11 --- Hua Guang Hang --- p.27 / Chapter 5.12 --- Maas Corporation --- p.28 / Chapter 5.13 --- Maxly Limited --- p.29 / Chapter 5.2 --- SURVEY ON KEY CLIENTS --- p.30 / Chapter 5.3 --- RESEARCH OUTCOMES & ANALYSIS --- p.31 / Chapter 5.31 --- Reasons for Using TMM's Services --- p.31 / Chapter 5.32 --- The Evaluation of TMM's Performance --- p.32 / Chapter 5.33 --- Projects in which Clients are Highly Satisfied With --- p.33 / Chapter 6. --- COMPANY PROFILE / Chapter 6.1 --- ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE --- p.36 / Chapter 6.2 --- MISSION STATEMENT --- p.36 / Chapter 6.3 --- ORGANIZATIONAL STRENGTHS --- p.37 / Chapter 6.4 --- FACTORS THAT HINDER THE ORGANIZATION FROM INCREASING POSITION IN THE MARKET --- p.38 / Chapter PART III --- KEY STRATEGIC ELEMENTS / Chapter 7. --- KEY STRATEGIC ISSUES --- p.40 / Chapter 8. --- TARGET MARKET IDENTIFICATION --- p.42 / Chapter 9. --- MARKETING OBJECTIVES / PROFIT FORECAST --- p.44 / Chapter 10. --- IMPERATIVES IN SETTING MARKETING STRATEGIES / Chapter 10.1 --- THE NEED FOR SERVICE MISSION --- p.46 / Chapter 10.2 --- THE NEED FOR QUANTIFIABLE MEASURES --- p.47 / Chapter PART IV --- STRATEGIES & TACTICS / Chapter 11. --- SERVICE OBJECTIVE & STRATEGY / Chapter 11.1 --- CONSOLIDATION OF CURRENT SERVICE OFFERINGS --- p.49 / Chapter 11.11 --- Strengthen the Financial Aspect of Retail Project --- p.49 / Chapter 11.12 --- Strengthen Relationship with Retail Renters --- p.50 / Chapter 11.13 --- Strengthen Connections with Various Distribution Modes that Foreign Brand Owner Could Consider --- p.51 / Chapter 11.2 --- CLIENT /ORGANIZATIONAL INVOLVEMENT IN SERVICE DESIGN --- p.52 / Chapter 11.3 --- DEVELOP NEW SERVICES OFFERINGS AND RELEVANT SKILLS --- p.52 / Chapter 12. --- PRICING OBJECTIVE & STRATEGY / Chapter 12.1 --- MAINTAINING EXISTING PRICING POLICY --- p.54 / Chapter 12.2 --- ESTABLISHING PRICING POLICY FOR NEW CLIENTS --- p.55 / Chapter 12.3 --- PRICING STRUCTURE BASED ON CLIENT VALUE --- p.55 / Chapter 13. --- COMMUNICATIONS OBJECTIVE & STRATEGY / Chapter 13.1 --- COMMUNICATIONS 一 A HOLISTIC VIEW --- p.56 / Chapter 13.2 --- COMMUNICATIONS WITHIN TMM --- p.56 / Chapter 13.21 --- "Documented Policies, Procedures, and Strategic Frameworks" --- p.56 / Chapter 13.22 --- Computerized Marketing Information System --- p.58 / Chapter 13.23 --- More Employee Participation --- p.59 / Chapter 13.3 --- COMMUNICATIONS WITH CURRENT CLIENTS --- p.59 / Chapter 13.4 --- COMMUNICATIONS WITH PROSPECTIVE CLIENTS --- p.60 / Chapter 13.41 --- Get Articles Published --- p.60 / Chapter 13.42 --- Reaching New Target Segments --- p.61 / Chapter 13.5 --- COMMUNICATIONS WITH ASSOCIATED CONSULTANTS AND COOPERATING PARTIES --- p.62 / Chapter 14. --- SALES OBJECTIVE & STRATEGY / Chapter 14.1 --- RESPONSIBILITY OF SELLING IN THE COMPANY --- p.63 / Chapter 14.2 --- CHIEF MOTIVATOR OF SALES --- p.63 / Chapter 15. --- CHANNEL OBJECTIVE & STRATEGY --- p.65 / Chapter 16. --- TACTICAL ACTION PLAN --- p.66 / Chapter 17. --- CONTROL & BUDGET / Chapter 17.1 --- CONTROL & MONITORING OF THE MARKETING SYSTEM --- p.68 / Chapter 17.2 --- PRELIMINARY BUDGET --- p.69 / Chapter PART V --- APPENDIX & BIBLIOGRAPHY / APPENDIX --- p.71 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.85

A Amazônia Legal, conhecida por sua dimensão territorial e pela magnitude e diversidade de seus recursos naturais, destaca-se como uma região estratégica para o Brasil, mas sua integração ao desenvolvimento socioeconômico nacional foi e continua sendo problemática e conflituosa. Na atualidade, ao menos no plano do discurso oficial, há a busca por modelos alternativos para o desenvolvimento da região, que sejam capazes de aliar a preservação dos recursos naturais com a geração de benefícios econômicos e sociais. O turismo, mais especificamente o ecoturismo, aparece nas políticas públicas dirigidas à região como parte importante desses modelos. Desta forma, consideramos relevante analisar as ações recentes do Estado voltadas à promoção do uso turístico de parcelas do território amazônico, tendo como principal objeto de análise o Programa de Desenvolvimento do Ecoturismo na Amazônia Legal (Proecotur), gerenciado pelo Ministério do Meio Ambiente, de 1996 a 2010. Partimos do pressuposto de que o Estado é, em última instância, quem legitima as formas de uso do território, sendo sua ação e inação contundentes no processo de produção do espaço. Ao analisar, entretanto, as particularidades da produção de políticas públicas de turismo, no âmbito do Proecotur, constatamos a presença de empresas de consultoria assumindo funções tipicamente estatais, sob os paradigmas da descentralização e do enxugamento do Estado, no período áureo das políticas neoliberais. A terceirização de competências públicas nos remeteu a incluir, em nosso estudo, a análise das instituições responsáveis pela gestão pública do turismo nos estados da Amazônia Legal, como também do processo de elaboração de políticas de turismo delegado às empresas de consultoria, fato que denominamos de produção terceirizada de políticas públicas. / Legal Amazon Region, known for its territorial dimension and the magnitude and diversity of its natural resources, stands out as a strategic region for Brazil. However, its integration into the national socioeconomic development still remains problematic and conflictive. Today, at least in which concerns to the official discourse, alternative models created to promote the region development have been improved, able to combine the preservation of natural resources to the generation of economic and social benefits. Tourism, specifically ecotourism, is mentioned in public policies as an important part of these models. Thus, we consider relevant to analyze recent government actions concerning to the promotion of tourism in certain portions of Amazon terrirory, taking, as our main case study, the Program for the Development of Ecotourism in Amazon (Proecotur), managed by the Ministry of Environment between 1996 and 2010. We assume that State is, ultimately, who legitimizes forms of land use, and its action and inaction compelling space production process. When considering, however, the specifications of public policy in the development of tourism within Proecotur, we could notice the presence of consulting firms assuming exclusive State functions, under the paradigm of decentralization and downsizing of the State, in a golden period of neoliberalism. The outsourcing of public powers leaded us to include in our study the analysis of public institutions responsible for the management of tourism in the Amazonian states, as well as the process of developing tourism policies delegated to consulting firms, what we call \"outsourced production of public policy\".