Marriott School Professors Recognized for Article on Knowledge Transfer

Kristen DeTienne receiving the Outstanding Paper award from Emerald adviser, David Weir, at the Academy of Management Conference in Montreal. PROVO, Utah – Sep 29, 2010 – In their efforts to tear down communication barriers in the work place, three Marriott School professors took home top honors for their article emphasizing the importance of engaging knowledge transfer — the active process where information is received, interpreted and applied.

Professors Kristen DeTienne, Robert Jensen and Michael Thompson's article, "Engaging Embedded Information: Towards a Holistic Theory of Knowledge Transfer in Organizations" was awarded Outstanding Paper in the competitiveness review division from the Emerald Literati Network.

"Our hope is that this kind of a discussion can reach not only some people in the academic world but also some in the corporate world as well," says Thompson, associate dean of the Marriott School and associate professor of organizational leadership and strategy.

Emerald Group Publishing annually recognizes exceptional articles published within each of the hundreds of journals they circulate. The Emerald journals strive to bridge the gap between academia and real-life implementation. More than 6,000 organizations from around the world subscribe to scholarly journals from this U.K.-based organization.

According to the professors' research the importance of company knowledge is on the rise, making the need to create an environment conducive to effective communication critical. Despite it being their most valuable asset, many businesses still struggle with effectively sharing company know-how with employees.

"Knowledge is most valuable when you replicate and transfer it from where it originated to the rest of the company," says Jensen, assistant professor of organizational leadership and strategy. "You need others in your company to learn the same thing."

Co-authors Robert Jensen and Michael Thompson.In an attempt to preserve corporate knowledge, many companies have compiled information into databases as the main source of learning — creating a one-way channel of static information transfer. To help organizations move beyond merely sharing information to transferring knowledge, the authors developed a knowledge transfer model. This model emphasizes the receiver, stating information is turned into knowledge only when the receiver is able to apply the information obtained from the sender.

"In the last 15 years most of America has become a knowledge-based industry," says DeTienne, professor of organizational leadership and strategy. "Sharing knowledge is one of the key components in today's competitive industry and those who understand and manage the transfer cycle effectively will see benefits."

The Marriott School is located at Brigham Young University, the largest privately owned, church-sponsored university in the United States. The school has nationally recognized programs in accounting, business management, public management, information systems, and entrepreneurship. The school's mission is to prepare men and women of faith, character and professional ability for positions of leadership throughout the world. Approximately 3,000 students are enrolled in the Marriott School's graduate and undergraduate programs.