management practices. Gradually, they will overcome the many
technical and social barriers that hobble their competitors, and
learning-friendly cultures will evolve to support their knowledge-
based strategies. At the heart of these learning-friendly cultures will
be a wealth of tacit knowledge gained through trial-and-error expe-
riences. Awaiting the firms that succeed will be a competitive
advantage that others will envy but find impossible to copy.
Susan E. Jacksonis professor of human resource management at
the School of Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers Uni-
versity, where she also serves as graduate director for the doctoral
program in industrial relations and human resources. Her primary
area of expertise is the strategic management of human resources,
and her special interests include managing for knowledge-based
competition, improving team effectiveness, and workforce diversity.
Among her publications on these topics are her recent books,
including Managing Knowledge for Sustained Competitive Advantage:
Designing Strategies for Effective Human Resource Management (with
M. A. Hitt and A. S. De Nisi), Managing Human Resources Through
Strategic Partnership(with R. S. Schuler), and Diversity in the Work-
place: Human Resource Initiatives. Contact: [email protected];
http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~sjacksoxNiclas L. Erhardtis a doctoral student at the School of Management
and Labor Relations at Rutgers University. He obtained his bachelor
of science degree at Cornell University and his master of science
degree at Iowa State University. His research interests are knowledge
management, diversity, social networks, and their relationship with
performance at multiple levels. Contact: [email protected]BUILDINGSOCIALCONNECTIONS 265