Consistency Encounters Contingency. The Application of PowerPoint for Knowledge Management Purposes and Its Differentiation as a Genre of Organizational Communication

In this paper, PowerPoint presentations are analyzed in their application as project documents for knowledge management purposes. The analysis is conducted by means of an empirical case study in co-operation with an international business consulting firm. By drawing on the Luhmann’s theory of social systems (1995; 2000) as well as the distinction between media and genres of organizational communication (Yates & Orlikowski, 1992), it can be shown that the application of PowerPoint presentations in project documentation leads to the emergence of a genre conflict between consistency and contingency-centered modes of communication. From a knowledge management perspective, the focus on a consistent narrative can be considered as suboptimal if mistakes and alternatives to decisions are masked – all of which can embed highly relevant knowledge for future decisions on similar project matters.