Knowing What We Know: Uncovering Tacit Knowledge for Improved Organizational Performance

Abstract

Tacit knowledge has emerged as an important construct in the scholarly literature dealing with teamwork, knowledge management, and organizational learning. In this article, we review our evolvingunderstanding of tacit knowledge as well as its role in organizational learning, and we describe advances in the assessment of tacit knowledge. Based on this analysis, we seek to leverage and apply tacit knowledge to improve teamwork, coordination among organizational units, and organizational performance. We conclude with a brief case example showing how various research strategies can be integrated through effective knowledge management to provide an organization with elements of competitive advantage.