Browsing by Author "Rahikainen, Riku"

The purpose of the present multiple case study was to examine how highly regarded expert consultants specialised in design and development of digital products and services, reflect on the nature of their professional expertise. The study focused, further, on qualitatively tracing personal social networks of the key experts and their ways of developing and cultivating their expertise in their network-centric organization. Organizational consultancy is creative knowledge work taking place at inter-organizational contact zones. Because technological and social innovations are interdependent, consult work is closely related to organizational learning, transformation, and change. The theoretical foundations of the study were provided by Senge’s theory of learning organisations, Nonaka’s theory of knowledge-creating companies, Engeström’s theory of expansive learning, and theories of social networks. The study was carried out within a Finnish consultancy company, developing digital systems for supporting public and private organizations in transformation of their workflows and practices. Interviewees for this study were selected by asking employees of the organization to nominate colleagues who they see to be experts in consulting and team-building. Two people who gained the most mentions in each skill area were invited to take part in the study, whom all agreed. Interviews were conducted via video call. Beyond background information, the participants were asked to reflect on the nature of their own expertise, active efforts of developing expertise and building of personal network. They were also asked to report critical incidents they saw to have a positive impact on the development of expertise. A personal network was drawn by the experts with the instructions of the interviewer, using an infinity board tool, and analysed qualitatively. Gathered data was first coded and then analyzed by relying on qualitative analysis of content. The results indicated that each expert consultant had unique and sophisticated expertise, and it was connected to their professional identity. The results revealed that the experience years of the experts were a relevant factor while considering how confident the experts were with their own expertise. Experts felt that both skills were difficult to define but they appeared to value similar aspects while defining these skills. Experts appeared to learn the most while working on a project. The significance of mentors was also important, especially in the early phases of a career. Different challenges and solving them with various methods appeared to be significant in developing consulting and team-building skills. The size of the personal network emerged not to be the determinant factor of the development of expertise. Experience and current work description appeared to affect what kind of personal connections experts value. Each expert approached the active development of one's skills differently, and only one expert felt that he was not actively developing his skills. Challenges regarding the cultivation of these skills appeared to relate to communication and unclear career paths. The expertise of consultants is a complex entity. It comes to life in the processes and conventions between consultants, clients, and organizations. The origin of this expertise is hard to track, and it requires time and effort to build it. This study scratched the surface of how experienced consultants develop and cultivate their skills. Shedding light on this matter is necessary so that the steps to begin further examination become visible.