Emily Ward
10/7/08
BUSA 440
Case Write-Up
I. Assessment of knowledge management activity in the company
1. Things that are working at McKinsey & Company:
Culture
oThe values and beliefs of the organization actively
encouraged their employees to value knowledge as a
team in order to create a more effective knowledge
management system to positively impact the value
of business practices, client relations, and consultant
specialists.
Leadership
oLeaders at McKinsey & Company work as change
agents to promote ideal environments for knowledge
management.
oManagement launched new ideas like the McKinsey
Staff Paper series in 1978 to being a type of data
collection from their consultants and encouraged the
consultants to publish their key findings.
oManagement also encouraged knowledge
management practices by assembling work groups to
develop strategic practice agendas and also “Super
Groups” to strategize the best plan of action to
implement their expertise on knowledge
management practices.
Organizational Intent
oMcKinsey and Company had a clear strategic
direction for the firm. In 1987 management launched
their KM project. The team worked to make a major
commitment to build their knowledge database and
keep it up to date and maintained.
