Volume 18, Number 1 Article by Padmaja Palekar March, 2006
Knowledge Acquisition through Selection :
As markets get more and more competitive, new knowledge provides the basis for organisational renewal and sustainable competitive advantage. The process of knowledge acquisition is therefore an important area in research and one of the key constructs in the concept of organisational learning. Depending on the motive for knowledge acquisition, the most common methods are recruitment, mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures. Knowledge perceived as potentially useful for the organisation may also be acquired by individual managers or organisational sub-units. This new knowledge has the potential to be shared and internalised or integrated within the organisation. While knowledge acquisition through joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions has been extensively studied, knowledge acquisition through selection of individual members to the organisation has not received its share of attention in research. Recruitment and selection, as a key HR practice in any organisation, can contribute significantly to the organisation in acquiring knowledge and gaining a competitive advantage, and needs to be accorded a more strategic role than it is traditionally assigned. This award winning student essay is an attempt to understand how and why selection of personnel can be used by organisations to acquire knowledge.
As markets get more and more competitive, new knowledge provides the basis for organisational renewal and sustainable competitive advantage. The process of knowledge acquisition is therefore an important area in research and one of the key constructs in the concept of organisational learning. Depending on the motive for knowledge acquisition, the most common methods are recruitment, mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures. Knowledge perceived as potentially useful for the organisation may also be acquired by individual managers or organisational sub-units. This new knowledge has the potential to be shared and internalised or integrated within the organisation. While knowledge acquisition through joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions has been extensively studied, knowledge acquisition through selection of individual members to the organisation has not received its share of attention in research. Recruitment and selection, as a key HR practice in any organisation, can contribute significantly to the organisation in acquiring knowledge and gaining a competitive advantage, and needs to be accorded a more strategic role than it is traditionally assigned. This award winning student essay is an attempt to understand how and why selection of personnel can be used by organisations to acquire knowledge.
Reprint No 06102
