Dialogue as a possibility for knowledge in organizations

Taking dialogue to be a social practice within organizations, we reflect and ask ourselves: Under what circumstances does dialogue work as a process that can promote or hinder knowledge development in organizations? In response, we extend organizational perspectives by situating knowledge construction through interactions, especially dialogue and conversation. The key issue is that humans communicatively constitute knowledge by way of interaction and social practices that vary according to their social-historic contexts (see Ashcraft, Kuhn & Cooren 2009; Putnam & Nicotera 2009). We present the case of a Brazilian Innovation unit charged by the government to incorporate knowledgedialogue dynamics in organizational change processes. Through this case, we illuminate ways in which communication constructs and upgrades knowledge within organizational environments.