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Described and illustrated with examples is some of the curriculum development work conducted by the K-6 career education project of Eastern Illinois University. Four dimensions comprise the category Developmental Dimensions: coping behaviors, decision making, lifestyle, and self-development. Three are Interacting Dimensions: attitudes and appreciations, career information, and educational awareness. (SC)

An answer to those who charge the book is obscene, racist or immoral, the article has general applications as well. (SP)

Theories of knowledge management in alliances between competitors highlight the role of the alliance as a vehicle in a competition for knowledge. Vertical publicprivate partnerships face a different institutional framework where competition for knowledge gives way to cooperation. This paper reports on a case study of the evolution of knowledge management practices in a public agency engaged in vertical outsourcing partnerships. The agency evolved its contracting towards alliances as it sought better outsourcing outcomes, this translated into new organizational arrangements where arms-lengths hierarchical processes of knowledge management was progressively replaced by horizontal, democratic processes. Underpinning this evolution was a parallel shift in thinking about knowledge, from a conceptualization of knowledge as an asset to be managed, to a view of knowledge as a tool supporting knowing in practice

Organisational structure is synonymous with a firm's knowledge – both today and in respect of a firm's future knowledge stocks. For some, this may seem obvious, yet for most scholars (and practitioners) this is not the case, as structure – particularly where the boundaries of the firm lie and what they look like – rarely makes it into any knowledge management discussion. Yet what a firm does today, be it broad in its activities or highly focused to the point of being a virtual organisation, is both a reflection of its existing capabilities/routines (which are based around knowledge) as well as determining its likely learning and transformational opportunities into the future. In addition, the permeability of any organisational boundary and the existence of any mechanism to maximise the inflows of new knowledge are fundamental to developing new or reconfiguring existing capabilities. This paper therefore addresses how knowledge and structure are inextricably linked and, through the use of a case study, illustrates how a public sector organisation has significantly rebuilt its capabilities by rethinking its organisational boundaries, both in terms of location and basic characteristics. The determination of organisational boundaries is a classic theme with theories being developed on the basis of tasks and activities (Katz and Kahn 1966; Lawrence and Lorsch 1967; Thompson 1967), to theories of economic organisation focused on property rights and transaction costs (Alchian and Demsetz 1972; Grossman and Hart 1986; Jensen and Meckling 1976; Williamson 1975), and strategic theories of resources, capabilities and knowledge (Barney 1995; Foss 2002; McGee 2003; Teece, Pisano and Shuen 1997). While these different theories each provide a different lens through which to see how organisations structure themselves to create their boundaries, these theories tend to be weak in linking organisational boundaries to value creation (or competitive advantage). Furthermore, these theories say little about the nature of organisational boundaries beyond their basic location. To counter this perceived weakness, we draw primarily upon the knowledge-based view of the firm which proffers an alternative explanation regarding organisational boundaries and the need for organisational alliances. The knowledge literature simultaneously provides an opportunity to investigate the nature of organisational boundaries in the context of alliances and knowledge transfer. Positing that organisational structure in terms of firm boundaries (location and permeability) fundamentally drive an organisation’s ability to engage in learning and knowledge transfer, we use a case study of Main Roads Western Australia (WA) to illustrate how rethinking their structural boundaries and the nature of these boundaries allowed for a rebuilding of key organisational capabilities.

Organisational boundaries can be analysed via a variety of lenses – organisational design principles, transaction cost economics, property rights and agency theory, amongst others. We review these before taking a knowledge-based perspective to firstly explain how the boundaries of the firm are determined by the knowledge resources present, and second, to highlight how conceptualising the drivers of competitive advantage in terms of knowledge and learning create a backdrop for understanding the move towards intermediate or hybrid organisational forms most commonly characterised by strategic alliances. We subsequently propose that the exact location of these naturally more fluid boundaries of the firm that exist in conjunction with strategic alliances are not as important as the level of permeability of the organisational boundaries. Permeable organisational boundaries allow for more efficient use of key knowledge resources; for firms to make and buy the same activity simultaneously and for learning to occur – a key driver of competitive advantage for those that subscribe to the knowledge-based view or the dynamic capabilities view of competitive advantage.