In a knowledge-centric economy, knowledge, embodied as intellectual capital, is increasingly a strategic resource for organizations in all areas of human endeavor. This dissertation presents an integrative conceptual framework for knowledge management that encompasses a fusion process for creating new knowledge and technological innovations in a competitive environment, using management services firms as a specific economic context for application. The framework embodies the premise that the most effective and efficient organizations are those that can learn to learn---to incorporate learning processes, including knowledge creation, into their everyday operations and management.; The theoretical foundations of the framework include multiple perspectives of knowledge formation and technological innovation, with a particular focus on conversion of knowledge from tacit to explicit forms and ultimately to intellectual capital, especially technologically embodied forms---tools, skills, facts and procedures that are the knowledge-in-use within organizations. The framework is conceived as an organizational learning cycle or fusion process, which encompasses sub-processes for knowledge acquisition and formation, technological embodiment of knowledge, entrepreneurial application of technologies, and assessment of knowledge-in-use by an organization, in order to create or form intellectual capital.; The framework has been refined and validated through several means: (1) feedback from participants in an academic conference; (2) four case studies that encompassed interviews with practitioner professionals as well as application of the framework as an analytical framework in field studies of the associated firms; and (3) participation as an observer in an ICT solutions project as an additional case for field study of analytic application of the framework. Operationalization of the framework as a management tool is demonstrated by applying the Analytic Hierarchy Process, using comparison matrices prepared by the interviewees.; Key findings include: (1) perceptions of knowledge management definition and use vary among practitioners, even within a single industry; (2) there may be significant differences in priorities between knowledge management professionals and practicing consultants; and (3) to be actionable, knowledge developed in the organizational context must be re-assimilated by individuals, who remain the main agents of action.
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