Individual gendered experiences of organisational elements impacting on knowledge creation processes in a knowledge-intensive organisation

Starken, Katja (2013) Individual gendered experiences of organisational elements impacting on knowledge creation processes in a knowledge-intensive organisation. Doctoral thesis, Northumbria University.

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Abstract

This thesis explores individual gendered experiences of organisational elements impacting on knowledge creation processes of management consultants in an international management consultancy. There have been calls to gain further insights into knowledge creation by exploring the impact of social aspects such as work practices, participation and organisational conflict on knowing and learning processes. These calls have been addressed mainly by considering single aspects of the organisational context and their impact on knowledge creation processes or by considering a range of different aspects of the organisational context but neglecting their interrelationship. This current research explores management
consultants’ experiences of various social aspects, which are understood as organisational elements, impacting on knowledge creation processes and the interrelationships between these aspects.

According to the social-constructionist perspective on knowledge and learning, social interaction is integral to knowing and learning. Since gender is understood to impact on social interaction, in this thesis it is acknowledged that knowledge creation, which is inherent to knowing and learning processes, is influenced by gender. Previous research tended to neglect the impact of gender on individual experiences of knowledge creation processes. More recently, women’s inclusion and exclusion from knowledge creation processes in organisations has been explored through a theoretical analysis of a single organisational aspect, knowledge creation through networking.

Drawing upon a social-constructionist perspective on knowing and learning and gender in organisations, this thesis contributes to theory in the area of knowledge creation and gender in organisations by placing special emphasis on the role of gender whilst exploring various key aspects of the organisational context impacting on individual experiences of knowledge creation processes.

The theoretical potential of this research is developed through an exploratory case study of 15 men and women consultants working for the case study organisation. Through semi-structured interviews, accounts of individual gendered experiences of organisational elements impacting on knowledge creation processes were explored. Here, women, who have been neglected in previous research, received the same attention as men. New insights are offered by not only exploring women’s experiences and the potential differences between women’s and men’s experiences but also considering the differences within the women’s and men’s accounts. Following an autoethnographic approach this research also offers a view from the ‘inside’ by including the researcher’s own experiences as an insider management consultant, thus offering a further contribution.

This thesis argues that career opportunities, individual acknowledgement within the organisational context, motivation and trustful relationships are key aspects impacting on knowledge creation experiences of women and men management consultants. These aspects are interlinked and impact on each other. The research offers career opportunities and individual acknowledgement as key influences to the field of knowledge creation. Further, it illustrates how individuals’ experiences of
organisational elements that impact on knowledge creation processes in a knowledge-intensive organisation are gendered.

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