Knowledge management in environmental consulting firms

Abstract

In this study, the managers of eight consulting companies established in Brazil were interviewed to explore knowledge management and the practices adopted by environmental consulting companies specializing in environmental impact assessment. The study sought to verify the existence of a relationship between the degree of complexity and innovation of a company's project portfolio, along with (i) knowledge management practices and tools mentioned in the literature; (ii) knowledge repositories used by consulting companies; and (iii) their experiences related to knowledge creation, exchange and retention. It was found that knowledge socialization practices were employed by most consultancies, but post-action reviews were not conducted to identify lessons learned. Routines and procedures capable of transforming tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge were not widespread, while knowledge combination practices experienced restricted utilization. The study concluded that the most appropriate knowledge management tools may depend on how diversified such organizations are in terms of both markets and localization.