Developing relational practices for knowledge intensive organizational contexts

From previous research projects in the context of technological innovation and social development the author argues that knowledge development, as well as knowledge sharing and integration, are essentially relational activities. Actors define and deal with content issues while mutually defining each other and the emergent social membership at the same time. These relational aspects are handled mostly implicitly: people talk “content” and “enact and experience” the relational mode. In process consultation approaches in training and development contexts, consultants work explicitly on the relational reflexivity. Examples are given of a third mode, a dialogical mode of creating relational practices while attending both aspects: the content and the relational in an integrated skilful mode.