Mitigating not-invented-here syndrome in consultant knowledge transfer by developing appropriate implementation guidelines

Purpose This study aims to propose a framework for the development of implementation guidelines (IGs) that can help consultants mitigate not-invented-here (NIH) syndrome during a consultant intervention as a specific type of knowledge transfer. Design/methodology/approach The authors adopted a design science research approach for proposing an NIH-mitigating IG development framework. Inspired by findings and rich primary data from two consultant interventions, the authors, through theory building, ground five core principles in the general theory of NIH attitude functions. Finally, the authors revisit two consultant interventions to identify and describe mechanisms that led to the enactment of the principles. Findings The proposed framework provides five principles for developing NIH-mitigating IGs. The present research proposes that successful knowledge transfer and the mitigation of NIH syndrome as a prerequisite for this success are conditioned by adequately developed IGs. Originality/value The originality and value of the present research lie in the proposed NIH-mitigating IG development framework containing a set of principles for IG development as a proactive rather than reactive approach to NIH mitigation. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first research to address the problematics of mitigating NIH syndrome in consultant knowledge transfer by focusing on developing appropriate IGs. By developing and implementing IGs based on the proposed framework, a more successful transfer of knowledge from consultants to clients should take place, thus, increasing the value that clients receive from consultancy.