Common Knowledge: How Companies Thrive by Sharing What They Know

AORN Journal,  April, 2004  by Mary Jane Edwards

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Common Knowledge: How Companies Thrive by Sharing What They Know

Nancy M. Dixon, ed 2000, 188 pp $29.95 hardcover

Editor Nancy M. Dixon fully uses her experience in the field of organizational learning in this excellent exploration of five proven methods for successfully transferring knowledge. The text is based on an in-depth study of several organizations (ie, Bechtel, Ford, Chevron, British Petroleum, Texas Instruments) that are leading the field in effective transfer systems. Ernst and Young is included as a prime example of an organization that understands how to create, improve, and disseminate state-of-the-art knowledge for the benefit of clients and the bottom line. The first year of Dixon's two-year study was conducted in cooperation with Ernst and Young's Center for Business Innovation.

Readers may find it helpful to read chapter eight first. In chapter eight, the five identified types of knowledge transfer are summarized and captured in a comprehensive chart. The five types of knowledge transfer include

* serial,

* near,

* far,

* strategic, and

* expert.

The first seven chapters may be read for a sense of the whole picture, rather like peeling away layers of an onion.

There are two fundamental messages in the book, as identified by Dixon. First, there are many different ways to transfer knowledge. Second, knowledge is transferred most effectively when the transfer process fits the knowledge being transferred. There is another important point, one that may be easier to understand from a pragmatic perspective. Until recently, most organizations entrusted their critical knowledge to subject matter experts in the areas of competitive importance to the organization. The significant shift in thinking is that knowledge should not be held exclusively by a select group of experts, but instead should be distributed through the whole organization. This approach does not diminish the value of subject matter experts but allows for a broader distribution and discussion of critical information.

This book requires readers to have a genuine interest in this important but somewhat dry subject. The reader who has a clear understanding of his or her organization's present and future objectives regarding internal knowledge transfer will gain more than will the casual browser. One cannot read this text without gaining a clear insight into the dramatic impact that effective knowledge transfer has on an organization's success.

This book is available from Harvard Business School Press, 60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163.

MARY JANE EDWARDS

RN, CNOR, FACHE

NATIONAL DIRECTOR,

PERIOPERATIVE SERVICES

CAP GEMINI ERNST & YOUNG

WASHINGTON, DC

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