Knowledge Transfer in Professional Service Business – In Focus Consultant and Client Relationships in Crisis Environment

During the past decades the relationship between consultant and client has changed significantly in Eastern Europe as well. Within traditional consulting the client and the consultant were not equal partners. The consultant, especially Western consultants, knew much more about the methods and processes, then the client who employed him (Gross et al, 2003). In the meantime, however, managers and professionals made up for this shortfall. Clients now expect consultants not just to simply transfer the knowledge and documentation related to a given management methods and procedures, but also to develop an organizational capability that enables the company or public institution to efficiently apply the tools implemented, when the consultant's assignment is finished. Using data gathered via a primer multiyear knowledge transfer survey by the authors, this paper analyses knowledge transfer aspects in the relationships between consultants and their clients. Through this, the article contributes to a better understanding of knowledge transfer processes within professional service business.