ations. Too little knowledge can lead to inefficiencies (poor decisions, as an example), while too much knowledge can create counterproductive organizational rigidity (no decision at all, as an example). The use of knowledge in a legal practice organization, therefore, must be managed to provide the right amount of appropriate knowledge for each situation (Gottschalk 81).
Knowledge management involves the generation, representation, storage, transfer, transformation, application, embedding, and protecting of organizational knowledge. Organizational learning, information sharing, and collaborative work are elements of effective knowledge management in a legal practice organization (Martin 67). The operational process allowing legal practice organizations to make optimal use of knowledge management is data mining, which is the process of discovering, meaningful new correlations, patterns, and trends by sifting through large amounts of data using pattern recognition technologies and statistical and mathematical techniques.ß Data mining provides an understanding of the information progressing from the general to specific by facilitating searches moving down, up, are across data elements (Martin 98).
Legal practice organizations that purposefully construct information structures and strategies to enhance and maximize organizational learning are learning organizations.ß Learning organizations facilitate the learning of all organizational members and continually transform themselves. The organizational climate is one in which individual members of the organization are encouraged to learn and to develop their full potential, and this approach is extended to include clients and supporting organizations (Gottschalk 82).
Effects of Organizational Structure and Organizational Culture on Knowledge Management in Legal Practice Organizations
Two primary classifications of organizational structure are mechanistic and organic.ß The d...