ABSTRACT
In flat and constantly changing organizations, networks tend to break down. Many global organizations are therefore also developing more formal processes to transfer knowledge that capitalize on technology. From our validation workshops it was clear that much of the transfer of credibility within organizations comes down to the level of “network brokerage” that can be achieved by individuals or units. The expertise might lie in an internal center of excellence tied strongly into complex and numerous interactions within the organization, but it might also be a relatively small source of activity – for example the possession of knowledge about international benefits – that at a local level would be seen as a target for outsourcing because of the relatively few information requests initiated. For a short time an organization therefore might have a group of people who act as a loose network around the world, whose expertise can be called upon as and when needed. There are a number of different roles played by international HR professionals in these networks:
A number of common issues are generally experienced in the management of knowledge across borders:
The mindset of employees has to be changed from sharing on a “need to know basis” to one of “continuous sharing of new insights.”
