Three groups of graduate students at the Schar School of Policy and Government are bridging the gaps in knowledge management at Marriott International, the Arlington County Fire Department, and the George Mason University Fiscal Department. Tojo Thatchenkery, professor and director of the Master’s in Organization Development and Knowledge Management program, designed the semester-long academic capstone project to equip students with real world experience before graduation.
“True knowledge sharing in organizations occurs less often than most of us think. Leveraging tacit knowledge is a big aspect of knowledge management,” said Thatchenkery. “Not everything is immediately understood, so our goal is to capture the tacit knowledge in such a way that those that come after can benefit from it.
“The second piece is knowledge sharing, which involves creating a system and culture in which people feel eager and comfortable sharing their knowledge with one another.”
Thatchenkery describes the consequences of failing to share knowledge.
“The 9/11 Commission found that both the CIA and the FBI had different aspects of the 9/11 plot,” he said. “They did not share knowledge because one is an investigative and enforcement culture and the other is intelligence gathering. Now, they are doing much more talking.”
For the Master’s in Organization Development and Knowledge Management program’s capstone project, students gain real-world professional experience by working with companies and organizations to increase knowledge sharing and communication. Students described their surprise at the willingness of the pro bono clients to work with them and listen to their advice.
“During our first meeting, we asked the Arlington County Fire Department firefighters and staff to share positive stories of an experience when they felt excited, valued, or appreciated,” said organization development and knowledge management master’s student, Kathleen Bell. “I was surprised at everyone’s willingness to share. The positive energy from everyone sharing was palpable and encouraged participation throughout the entire meeting.”
Richard Stone, who worked with international hotel giant Marriott’s employees, said, “It was refreshing to see their willingness to work together as a team emerging as a priority."
“The program provides multiple opportunities to engage in real consulting projects,” said Stone. “I have been able to work on knowledge management projects with an international volunteer organization and a strengths-based intervention with a Fortune 100 company while in the master’s program at the Schar School.”
By providing students with experience outside of the classroom, students are able to enter the workforce with the upper hand.
“The Master’s in Organization Development and Knowledge Management program has helped me to develop a greater capacity for the type of leadership required by a world that is continually becoming more complex,” said Stone. “Grounded in the values of inclusion, participation, and learning, the program does more than teach us how to develop effective organizations that people want to join—it shows us how to build communities.”
In addition to gaining practical work experience while in graduate school, the Schar School boasts some of the world’s finest faculty, said Bell.
“I have appreciated the long chats outside of class I’ve had with some of our professors,” said Bell. “A lot of learning has happened for me in those one-on-ones.”