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Zack, MichaelA reputed scholar in the area of knowledge management. Zack’s research and publications have focused on the use of information and knowledge to improve organizational performance effectiveness. His publications have appeared in a number of leading journals including Organization Science, Sloan Management Review, California Management Review, Information Systems Research, and Information & Management. Some of his important articles include: “Managing Codified Knowledge”, Sloan Management Review, Summer, 1999; “Developing a knowledge Strategy”, California Management Review, Spring, 1999 and “The Design and Development of Information Products”, Sloan Management Review, Spring, 1996. Case StudiesKnowledge Management in Action 1. McKinsey & CoIntroductionMckinsey63 was founded in 1926, by Professor James Mckinsey of the University of Chicago. Mckinsey laid the foundation for a world class organization by recruiting experienced executives and training them in systematic business analysis using a framework built around goals, strategy, policies, organization, facilities, procedures and personnel. The turning point came in 1932, when a bright young lawyer and a Harvard MBA, Marvin Bower, joined the firm. Bower injected a strong element of professionalism into his people. He believed in the highest standards of integrity, professional ethics, technical excellence and client focus. Bower emphasized that every assignment should bring the firm experience and prestige besides money. By the time Bower retired in 1967, Mckinsey had gained widespread acceptance throughout Europe and North America as a leading consulting firm. It was in the early 1970s, in the wake of the oil crisis, appearance of new competitors and growing expectations of clients, that Mckinsey realized the need to develop new capabilities and equip its consultants adequately. Ron Daniel, who took charge in 1976, was appointed McKinsey’s first full time director of training. Daniel not only established industry based sectors but also gave a new thrust to the development of functional expertise. He set up two working groups to accumulate more expertise in the firm’s core areas of strategy and organization. The knowledge building initiatives of Mckinsey gathered momentum in the early 1980s. The top management made it clear that knowledge development had to be a core, not a peripheral firm activity, that it needed to be ongoing and institutionalized, not temporary and project based and had to be the responsibility of everyone, not just a few people. The firm set up 15 centers of competence around different areas of expertise like strategy, organization, marketing, change management and systems. Mckinsey consultants started pursuing thought leadership in a big way by publishing books based on their expertise and consulting experience. Articles were also published in top management journals, such as Harvard Business Review. To improve knowledge sharing within the firm, Practice Bulletin, a two page summary of important new ideas was introduced. In 1987, a knowledge management project was launched. As part of efforts to build a common database of knowledge, each practice area appointed a coordinator, who was responsible for the quality of the documents that went into the database. Consultants were begged, cajoled and challenged to contribute documents to the Practice Development Network (PDNet). A list of experts was compiled along with key document titles by practice area and published in a small book, called the Knowledge Resource Directory. Meanwhile, Mckinsey realized that it was neglecting the development of the technical and professional skills of its consultants. The company’s partners decided to invest heavily in the development of its bright, young people and make them T shaped consultants, i.e. people who combined specialized industry knowledge / functional experience, with generalist problem solving skills and client development capabilities. The top management realized that while the former could be acquired through formal training and focused experience, the latter needed intensive counseling and mentoring relationships that Mckinsey people called the “apprenticeship process”. To send out a clear signal that the consulting firm was serious about people development, Fred Gluck, the managing director at the time, announced, “There are two ways to look at Mckinsey. The most common way is that we are a client service firm whose primary focus is to serve the companies seeking our help. That is legitimate, but I believe there is an even more powerful way for us to see ourselves. We should begin to view our primary purpose as building a great institution that becomes an engine for producing highly motivated, world class people who in turn, will serve our clients extraordinarily well.” Unlike many rivals who invested in developing tools and techniques and then training consultants in the use of these tools, Mckinsey remained somewhat weary of packaged management concepts. This belief in the craft of consulting, as opposed to the science, led to significant investments in personal coaching and mentoring. Rajat Gupta, Gluck’s successor, set an example by spending a substantial amount of his time, coaching young partners. He introduced a firm wide event called “The Practice Olympics”. Teams of young associates from all over the world, presented new ideas and concepts they had developed. Finalists were judged by a panel that included Gupta himself. An estimated 10-20% of the average partner’s time began to be spent in coaching and mentoring. Through the mentoring process, not only problem solving skills but also the firm’s values and aspirations were transmitted. Because of the support from their mentors, mentees were able to operate confidently, often going beyond their comfort zone. Today, McKinsey is acknowledged as a global leader in managing knowledge. Many companies view McKinsey as the benchmark. But it is clear that, though books and cases have been written about McKinsey, replicating McKinsey’s culture that lays a premium on knowledge creation and sharing, will be difficult for most companies. 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