NAVIGATING THE NUANCES OF TACIT KNOWLEDGE REVISITED: COMPARATIVE STUDIES IN MANAGEMENT THEORY APPLIED TO INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE IN GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

Abstract

This article reviews previous studies and provides a rationale for the inclusion of the concept of tacit knowledge in Indigenous Knowledge as an economic resource for stakeholders. It conducts a historical and revisited comparative analysis of tacit knowledge in the management theory of oral knowledge in Indigenous Knowledge within the realm of scientific investigation. The main argument is focused on the recognition of tacit knowledge accumulated and often lacking scientific validation in its continuous existence perpetuated by local communities, tribal and Indigenous Peoples on our planet. Tacit knowledge, often shared in goodwill and good faith among stakeholders, particularly non-Indigenous Peoples, implies a moral and legal obligation of benefit-sharing for all parties involved. The case studies presented in this article illustrate the role of tacit knowledge in Indigenous Knowledge and its past uses in traditional medicine utilised in patents, having deep implications for benefit-sharing on drug profits. In reviewing past findings in the native botany drugs discovery market, this article illustrates the developments in the integration of traditional medicine into national systems of health, which often fail to express tacit knowledge value independently of the verification of Western science as a justification for its efficacy.