Knowledge Management Thought Leader 114: Georg von Krogh

Originally posted 22-May-25

Georg von Krogh is a professor in the Department of Management, Technology, and Economics at ETH (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule) Zurich and holds the Chair of Strategic Management and Innovation. He specializes in competitive strategy, technological innovation, and knowledge management.

Georg teaches courses on Entrepreneurial Leadership, Strategic Management and Innovation Theory, and Research. He is a member of the National Research Council of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) and holds an honorary position as Research Fellow at Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.

Here are definitions for five of Georg’s specialties:

• Innovation: The process by which an idea is translated into a good or service for which people will pay.
• Knowledge Creation: Inventing new concepts, approaches, methods, techniques, products, services, and ideas that can be used for the benefit of people and organizations.
• Knowledge Network: A system of interconnected people, resources, and relationships that facilitate the creation, sharing, and application of knowledge. It’s essentially a social network focused on knowledge exchange and utilization.
• Strategy: A set of guiding principles that, when communicated and adopted in the organization, generates a desired pattern of decision making. The way that people throughout the organization should make decisions and allocate resources in order to accomplish key objectives. A strategy provides a clear roadmap that defines the actions people should take (and not take) and the things they should prioritize (and not prioritize) to achieve desired goals.
• Trust: The faith you have in someone that they will always remain loyal to you. To trust someone means that you can rely on them and are comfortable confiding in them because you feel safe with them.

Georg created the following content. I have curated it to represent his contributions to the field. For more about Georg, see Profiles in Knowledge.

Books by Georg von Krogh

Making the Most of Your Company’s Knowledge: A Strategic Framework

Four Knowledge Strategies

The leveraging strategy

This strategy sets out from existing knowledge domains and focuses on transferring that knowledge throughout the organization. In terms of strategic goal contributions, the leveraging strategy can first be orientated towards achieving efficiency in operations as well as reducing risks in operations. The strategy ensures that the company internally transfers existing knowledge from various knowledge domains, for example in areas such as product development, manufacturing, marketing and sales, human resources, purchasing, finance, and so forth. Efficiency increase results from local adaptation of cost–effective processes and services invented and developed elsewhere. Furthermore, knowledge transfer is essential to the consolidation of activities, as well as the standardization of tasks.

The expansion strategy

This strategy proceeds from the existing knowledge domain of the organization and targets knowledge creation by drawing on existing data, information, and knowledge. The emphasis is on increasing the scope and depth of knowledge by refining what is known and by bringing in additional expertise relevant for knowledge creation. Some of this expertise could come from partner firms, or partner firms could provide data, information and knowledge in order to fuel the knowledge creation process. The process occurs in various knowledge-creating groups throughout a company, and the aim here is to utilize an existing knowledge domain. This can be achieved for example by combining new and existing explicit knowledge, by creating new product and service concepts based on tacit knowledge, or by socializing members around certain problems, tasks, and work processes. Research and development as well as market research are key activities to facilitate expansion of the domain. However, since the knowledge domain can be centered on practices, data, information, experience relevant to any business operation or business process, the expansion strategy should be conceived of more broadly.

The appropriation strategy

This strategy is predominantly an externally orientated strategy. Here, the key challenge is to build up a new knowledge domain by transfer of knowledge from external sources. The difference between appropriation strategy and the last strategy is that here a knowledge domain does not pre-exist within the firm. Appropriation can occur by means of acquisitions or strategic partnerships with selected companies, research institutions, universities or other external organizations. The appropriation strategy can help to achieve operational efficiencies. The appropriation strategy also helps to attain innovation goals. Innovation with a partner is a common strategy for companies. The partner company provides market, manufacturing, and product knowledge that can provide a unique platform for building up new knowledge, products, and services internally.

The probing strategy

This strategy gives one or several teams the responsibility to build up a new knowledge domain from scratch. Here knowledge creation is somehow different compared with the case of the expansion strategy. First of all, for an existing knowledge domain, key professionals have already been identified, and second, there is knowledge available where you can judge the relevance for further expansion of the domain. For example, entries in the knowledge repository (for example, a database with software development tools) coupled with results from chat groups give you a rough indication of whether or not what you have is good enough to build upon. The probing strategy requires a different approach. Here you must identify participants with an interest in doing something new within the company, and these individuals in turn need to build their own community around a loose idea or vision of a future knowledge domain. In some ways, these individuals become “corporate revolutionaries” who create knowledge that in turn can become imperative to the long-term performance and survival of your firm.

Artificial Intelligence in Strategizing: Prospects and Challenges

Knowledge Enabling Framework

Five key elements that contribute to a knowledge-enabling culture:

1. Instilling a Knowledge Vision: This involves developing a shared understanding of the role of knowledge in achieving the organization’s goals. A clear knowledge vision inspires employees to contribute to knowledge creation and aligns their efforts with the organization’s mission.
2. Managing Conversations: Effective communication is crucial for knowledge sharing. This element focuses on creating open communication channels, facilitating dialogue, and encouraging discussions that lead to knowledge creation.
3. Mobilizing Knowledge Activists: Knowledge activists are individuals who promote knowledge sharing within the organization. This element involves identifying and empowering these advocates to lead knowledge-related initiatives.
4. Creating the Right Context: This element emphasizes creating an environment that supports knowledge creation and sharing. It involves fostering a culture of trust, collaboration, and open-mindedness.
5. Globalizing Local Knowledge: The final element focuses on extending local knowledge to the broader organization. It involves sharing best practices, lessons learned, and insights across teams and departments.