User Research: A Knowledge Management Perspective

Being heard within organizations is a key concern for practitioners of user research methods , and applying these emerging frameworks to the practice of user research can help organizations and practitioners alike become better understand the impact of user research. This paper specifically focuses on the work practices of consulting organizations and the creation transfer of knowledge generated during engagements.

Recent work in organizational studies on knowledge management has shed light on the differing impacts of tacit and explicit knowledge and the role of varied domain knowledge on innovation. Knowledge management frameworks developed by Hanson and Haas have classified knowledge in organizational settings as tacit or explicit based on definitions developed by Ancori, Bureth and Cohendet , and quantified differing impacts and implications of transferring different types of knowledge in service organizations , while Hargadon and Fanelli have explored the benefits to service organizations of gaining knowledge in different domains. Applying these frameworks to user research yields implications for organizations conducing user research with the help of consultants.