Do Gaming Simulations Substantiate That We Know More Than We Can Tell?

M A Van Haaften,F Brazier,H Lukosch,O Van Kooten,I Lefter

doi:10.1177/1046878120927048

Abstract

Background.Revealing tacit knowledge often is seen as very valuable for organizations, although it is usually challenging to enunciate and share this type of knowledge.Methods.This study uses a participatory design and the application of a board gaming simulation as instruments to extract tacit knowledge. To illustrate this application, the gaming simulation is played with entrepreneurs from horticulture. Horticulture represents a complex social system where tacit knowledge plays a major role in the trade process. A participatory design process is used to explore whether the design and play of gaming simulations enable participants to explicate their tacit knowledge. Participants’ participation in designing the gaming simulation explicated that reconstructing reality was a prerequisite for their commitment.Results.The results from playing simulation sessions show that participants were able to: (1) narrow down the anecdotic behaviour to a few factors; (2) to structure these factors; (3) explore how these factors relate to trade barriers and (4) to explain which tactics are applied to foster trade.Conclusion.The educational value of this study is that it helped entrepreneurs in understanding complex real-life situations.

Highlights

Polanyi (2009, p. 4) discussed extensively why tacit knowledge can be defined by the statement “we can know more than we can tell”, in contrast to knowledge that is known and explicit
The results from playing simulation sessions show that participants were able to: (1) narrow down the anecdotic behaviour to a few factors; (2) to structure these factors; (3) explore how these factors relate to trade barriers and (4) to explain which tactics are applied to foster trade
The variables were considered to be related to trade on the basis of the interviews and the meetings with the Advisory Board provided the basis for the gaming simulation design, to be tested in the gaming simulation sessions

Summary

Introduction

Polanyi (2009, p. 4) discussed extensively why tacit knowledge can be defined by the statement “we can know more than we can tell”, in contrast to knowledge that is known and explicit. 4) discussed extensively why tacit knowledge can be defined by the statement “we can know more than we can tell”, in contrast to knowledge that is known and explicit. Tacit knowledge founds its origin in personal experience and is by its very nature subjective and difficult to explicate (Nonaka et al, 2000). In gaming simulations personal learning experiences and knowledge are often modelled to be the main cornerstones of design and the methodological approach deployed (Kriz, 2009). Some studies in which undergraduate students participated, show that gaming simulation sessions can be used to acquire cognitive skills like systems thinking and active participation through carefully sequenced explicit instructions (Akcaoglu & Green, 2019; Assaraf & Orion, 2005). Revealing tacit knowledge often is seen as very valuable for organizations, it is usually challenging to enunciate and share this type of knowledge

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion