Tacit Knowledge Acquisition Research Articles

Factors of tacit knowledge acquisition and its mechanism of action on academic research performance: an empirical research from Chinese universities

PurposeThis study examines the relationship between higher education improvement and tacit knowledge importance. In this context, the scarcity of empirical and theoretical studies on acquiring tacit knowledge to enhance academic performance in higher education suggests that this research area holds significant importance for experts and policymakers. Consequently, this study aims to explore the factors that influence academic research performance at Chinese universities by acquiring tacit knowledge.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve the study aims, the current approach utilizes the research technique based on the socialization, externalization, internalization and combination (SECI) model and knowledge management (KM) theory. To analyze the study objective, the authors collected data from post-graduate students at Chinese universities and analyzed it using structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the model and hypotheses.FindingsThe results indicated that social interaction, internalization and self-motivation have a positive impact on academic research performance through the acquisition of tacit knowledge. Furthermore, the findings suggest that academic researchers can acquire more knowledge through social interaction than self-motivation, thereby advancing research progress.Originality/valueThis study addresses the critical issues surrounding the acquisition of tacit knowledge and presents a comprehensive framework and achievements that can contribute to achieving exceptional academic performance.

How Does Embodiment Enable the Acquisition of Tacit Knowledge in Organizations? From Polanyi to Merleau-Ponty

We address the question of how embodiment enables tacit knowledge acquisition in the workplace. Although references to tacit knowledge in organizational research are common, we still lack a refined theoretical account of how tacit knowledge is acquired, especially in relation to embodiment. Following Polanyi, we start with the premise that to know something tacitly implies a movement from subsidiary to focal awareness. We provide a process account of how embodiment enables tacit knowledge acquisition, by developing further Polanyi’s insights through Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology and phenomenologically oriented cognitive science. We argue that tacit knowledge is inferred to exist when fluency is manifested in task-specific performance. In particular, task-specific tacit knowledge is acquired once the objective body, having engaged in indwelling, is co-operatively turned to a phenomenal body that develops focal/subsidiary awareness and task-specific body schemas. The phenomenal body is capable of responding to the solicitations of the task at hand, thus striving to find an optimal grip on task-related particulars. This ability develops through authoritative guidance by more experienced others, in the effort to improve the fluency of task execution by focusing on and scrutinizing subsidiary particulars. We illustrate this process with several examples and discuss its implications for organizational research.

Conceptual model of the product development process using the tacit knowledge of disables

Knowledge management (KM) in an organization has always been an important element of creating its value and ensuring its development. Economic entities and market organizations that strive to ensure a competitive advantage must care for the best use of their knowledge, both explicit and tacit. Tacit knowledge may constitute up to 80% of all knowledge accumulated in an organization, but its nature is much less accessible to codification. The aim of the conducted research is to present a conceptual model of product development for the disabled, which assumes the functioning of the value network (VN) based on information technologies (IT). These people are the best source of knowledge necessary to formulate the framework defining the parameters of the developed product. The presented model considers the specific requirements of a given social group, which is characterized by a large dispersion and diverse needs. This is the biggest obstacle to extracting the knowledge necessary in the design and testing process. The article is an introduction to the discussion on the acquisition of tacit knowledge for personalization and adaptation of products to the needs of a given social group. The research into the conceptual model is the initial stage of research work that focuses on the analysis of literature and the creation of the concept of tacit knowledge management in the product development model based on the value network. The management of dispersed tacit knowledge is to systematize specific information in the field of product adaptation to the needs of the disabled. The concept of using tacit knowledge is always a challenge in the organization's knowledge management. The disabled often face difficulties in everyday life. Especially in the current situation in Ukraine, where military operations lead to an increase in the number of injured people for whom later adaptation in society will require appropriate knowledge and resources managed within the value network.

Habit

The thread of my argument is wound between two basic determinations of human life: that to survive we must both be able to adapt and yet also to spontaneously perform actions without thinking. Thus conceived, habit is a polar phenomenon, with ‘bad’ habits (mechanical repetition) at one pole and ‘good’ habits (informed choices) at the other. Far from considering habit as a mechanically repeated action, I maintain it is the form taken by embodied knowledge. Habit is what we perform, and the more we learn, the richer our performance. We are dealing with a form of knowing that is evidenced through expert performance rather than verbal discussion – in this sense, it is tacit. The acquisition of tacit knowledge (the mastery of a skill) takes place in four stages: from unconscious incompetence to conscious incompetence, to conscious competence, to unconscious competence. Put another way, we begin by not knowing that we do not know, and upon realizing that we do not know, we embark on a course of learning during which time we know that we know, finally reaching a stage when we know more than we can tell. The three sections of this article offer different routes into understanding the interrelation between habit, training and performance. The first deals with repetition and creation in actor training. This leads to a discussion of awareness, a crucially important faculty that characterizes the mental state of the performer in performance. A discussion of the neuroscientific literature reveals how perception, action and memory are functionally and intricately intertwined through sensori-motor loops. This faculty could be summed up in one word: noticing. All of this leads to the conclusion that habit can only be seen as negative if considered as a response or performance that is unchanging.

Political motivation of entrepreneurial orientation: An integrated perspective of knowledge acquisition and institutions

Most existing studies believe that entrepreneurship is mainly for economic gain, while ignoring that entrepreneurship may also cater to political needs. To fill this gap, through the integration of institutional theory and knowledge-based view, we construct a moderated mediation model to explore the mechanism of political strategy influencing entrepreneurial orientation. We utilize a sample of 678 Chinese enterprises through a questionnaire survey and the results showed that: (1) Political strategy affects entrepreneurial orientation by influencing the knowledge acquisition of enterprises. In particular, the mediating effect of tacit knowledge acquisition is stronger than that of explicit knowledge acquisition. (2) Institutional environment positively moderates the mediating effect of knowledge acquisition. (3) The moderated mediating effect of institutional environment is especially obvious in non-state-owned enterprises and non-high-tech enterprises. Our research surpasses the general assumption that enterprises implement political strategies to obtain material resources and institutional legitimacy.

The influence of open innovation on the synergistic innovation capability of Chinese manufacturing firms: the mediating role of tacit knowledge acquisition

PurposeChina has climbed from 22nd in the Global Innovation Index Rankings in 2017 to 11th in the 2022 due to the transition of its manufacturing firms from assemblers to system integrators. This paper examines how firms can enhance their innovation capability through inbound and outbound open innovation.Design/methodology/approachThis paper applies both open innovation and a knowledge-based view and proposes a conceptual framework that encompasses innovation capability and the significance of tacit knowledge acquisition. A questionnaire was designed to collect relevant data from 139 Chinese manufacturing firms in six regions to test this framework.FindingsThe authors found that inbound open innovation has a stronger impact than outbound open innovation on synergistic innovation capability. The acquisition of skill-based tacit knowledge has a slightly stronger intermediary role between open innovation (no matter inbound or outbound) and synergistic innovation capability than cognitive tacit knowledge does.Practical implicationsFirms should improve external tacit knowledge acquisition efforts to generate new knowledge, inspire the innovation passion of employees and implement ambidextrous open innovation.Originality/valueThis paper makes a good first step to analyze the effect of ambidextrous open innovation on the synergistic innovation capability of Chinese manufacturing firms. It verifies the role of skill-based and cognitive tacit knowledge acquisition and provides new reflections on open innovation strategy in emerging economies, thus enriching open innovation and knowledge-based theories.

Virtual Collaboration Affects Tacit Knowledge Acquisition: the Role of Observation and Storytelling

Virtual Collaboration Affects Tacit Knowledge Acquisition: the Role of Observation and Storytelling

Exploring tacit knowledge based on an expert nurse's practice for stroke patients.

This study explored tacit knowledge based on an expert nurse's practice who cares for stroke patients by using the hermeneutic phenomenological approach. The participant ('Ms. A') was a nursing researcher and college faculty member involved in the education of advanced practice nurses; her specialty was stroke rehabilitation nursing. She was asked to describe the meaning and value she gained from her memorable nursing experiences. Four interviews-approximately 1 heach-were conducted, and the associated data were interpreted together with the participant based on the method of interpretive circulation. Notably, the analysis was ended when a fusion of horizons was recognized. The participant recalled her nursing experiences based on six model cases. During the analysis, the following five elements were extracted: [belief in the ability of vulnerable people to survive]; [being together]; [respect for human dignity]; [preparedness to respond to and bear suffering together]; and [theoretical knowledge base approaches true understanding of patient experience]. Further, the nursing model-the Roy Adaptation Model-utilized by Ms. A in the process of recognizing humans as whole beings was deeply interpreted and implemented as a guideline for her implicit advanced practice. Moreover, her deep understanding and utilization of theoretical knowledge base also built the foundation for her implicit advanced practice. In conclusion, Ms. A's tacit knowledge and the elements support the process of tacit knowledge acquisition. Her narratives, hermeneutic attitude as an interpreter, and learning attitude throughout interaction with others will strongly help her knowledge development. We intend to continue the study with multiple participants and explore the structure of tacit knowledge possessed by advanced practitioners. Future endeavours will include the development of a tacit knowledge learning strategy.

Tacit knowledge acquisition and incremental innovation capability: Proximity perspective

Knowledge, especially tacit knowledge (TK), has become the most strategic resource for firms' innovativeness and competitiveness. However, most agricultural firms struggle to effectively manage TK to improve their innovation capability. This study aims to examine the relationships between firms’ proximity, including geographic proximity (GP), cognitive proximity (CP), social proximity (SP) and organizational proximity (OP), external tacit knowledge acquisition (ETKA) and incremental innovation capacity (IIC). The study also examines the mediating role of ETKA in the relationship between proximity dimensions and FFF's IIC. The paper draws on the theoretical framework of knowledge-based view and knowledge management (KM) and adopt structural modeling equation for research hypothesis testing. Primary data are collected between October and November 2021 through face-to-face interviews at 320 FFF level. The results reveal that SP and OP positively affect ETKA and IIC of FFF, while GP and CP failed. The evidence further shows that ETKA significantly improves FFF' IIC. The results also highlight the partial mediating effect ETKA. The study suggests that FFF owner-managers can improve ETKA and boost IIC by building and optimizing strong close relationships between FFFs based on trust and shared goals. The finding provides useful implications for policymakers and agricultural firms managers regarding the adoption of embedded open innovation paradigm based on proximity dimensions. This study extends the literature on agricultural innovation by providing evidence of the link between proximity-KM-IIC.

A Sensitivity Analysis for Roles Selection in Hybrid Multi-Criteria Decision Making

The process of retaining leadership succession at higher education institutions (HEI) is crucial since it has entailed the process of selecting the ideal candidate. The goal is to guide universities toward maintaining organizations' excellence in their academic leadership and management (ALM) positions. Due to the lack of established standards for assessing the competency of possible successors at their home institutions, many ALM of Malaysia HEIs is difficult to identify the proper replacement for their posts. This study aims to propose a multi-criteria tacit knowledge acquisition framework (MC-TKAF) for supporting talent development intervention programs in Malaysia HEIs. It will be based on cognitive apprenticeship, socialization, and informal learning theory which is mostly used in acquiring knowledge from expertise to overcome talent bottlenecks among novices. Fuzzy Delphi will be used as the primary methodology in this study to gather agreement regarding the appropriate indicator to measure tacit knowledge competency among ALMs at Malaysian HEIs. There are three phases: Phase 1 involves analysing the current tacit knowledge acquisition (TKA) and identifying the appropriate parameters to build the intended framework. Phase 2 involves using the results of Phase 1 to create a new framework of tacit knowledge acquisition (TKAF) that is appropriate for the HEI environment. Phase 3's final objective is to assess the viability of the Talent Development Intervention Program's (TDIP) Tacit Knowledge Acquisition Framework (TKAF) utilizing the Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach. This paper's goal is to offer the hybrid MCDM approach as a talent performance indicator for the multi-criteria tacit acquisition framework. The final Phase 3 of the study design will essentially be the subject of this paper. The built-in indicators in this document may be utilized as a guide for the HEI sectors to create talent performance metrics that are appropriate for each TKA applied.

Tacit knowledge acquisition & sharing, and its influence on innovations: A Polish/US cross-country study

This study measures the relationship between tacit knowledge sharing and innovation in the Polish (n = 350) and US (n = 379) IT industries. Conceptually, the study identifies the potential sources of tacit knowledge development by individuals. That is, the study examines how “learning by doing” and “learning by interaction” lead to a willingness to share knowledge and, as a consequence, to support process and product/service innovation. This study empirically demonstrates that tacit knowledge internalization and externalization (awareness and sharing) significantly mediate between tacit knowledge experimentation and socialization (acquisition) and its final combination (knowledge in action). While such theoretical assumptions already exist, they have not yet been empirically explained and revealed in a single structural model. Further, this empirical approach enabled a demonstration that internalization and externalization of tacit knowledge may occur consciously or unconsciously with equal success. Even so, the study also showed conscious tacit knowledge’s greater impact on innovation. Therefore, an organizational effort to manage autonomous, informal, and strongly contextual tacit knowledge is worthwhile and creates the capacity for superior competitive advantage. Finally, this study also demonstrates that national context influences tacit knowledge acquisition. In the US, “learning by doing” is dominant, whereas in Poland, “learning by interaction” and critical thinking are more common. This might be related to factors such as risk acceptance that could be studied in more detail and provide opportunities for future research.

Tacit Knowledge Management in Engineering Industries: Systematic Literature Review and Development of a Conceptual Model

Knowledge of every organisation is the most important resource, often not fully leveraged by organisations. Moreover, the value of tacit knowledge of an individual is much less understood and not exploited to the desired levels in organisations. It is quite evident when an experienced employee retires from an organisation, he carries away a very valuable chunk of knowledge with him, which is a strategic resource of the organisation. The COVID-19 pandemic and the great resignation times created a sudden loss of experts which troubled many organisations and made the topic of tacit knowledge management very relevant to current times. While PRISMA framework was used for selection of articles among the vast literature using justifiable validation criteria, a combination of bibliometric and narrative methods is used for the process of analysis and summarisation. The relevant papers are obtained using keywords “Tacit knowledge”, “Tacit knowledge management”, “Knowledge sharing”. Overall, 50 relevant and quality papers are picked after systematic filtration and study. The important keywords from these papers are picked and analysed to arrive at six major themes under which all the papers can be categorised. The six themes are tacit knowledge concept evolution, barriers to knowledge sharing, tacit knowledge acquisition process — various methods, role of context in knowledge sharing, enablers for tacit knowledge sharing, and IT for explicit Knowledge capture and reuse. Each of these themes also has sub-themes under which the papers are categorised. The gist of papers under each of these themes/sub-themes is captured in detail, providing key insights under each theme. While literature review papers focus on a certain domain or industry, this work developed a conceptual model using these themes which represents the current literature in tacit knowledge management as a system model, thus making this work complementary to the current body of knowledge. This model is useful in placing any future literature under one of the themes. Future work also can focus on adding additional themes as well as making this model more insightful through continuous improvement. Each of the themes in the model created can be colour coded to represent high and least researched areas, which can be a valuable guide for the future researchers. Future research directions relevant for the current engineering industries are collated from the literature reviewed, detailed under the above themes in chronological order.

Investigating the Impact of Dual Network Embedding and Dual Entrepreneurial Bricolage on Knowledge-Creation Performance: An Empirical Study in Fujian, China

Aim/Purpose: This study investigates the relationship between dual network embedding, dual entrepreneurial bricolage, and knowledge-creation performance. Background: The importance of new ventures for innovation and economic growth has been fully endorsed. Establishing incubation organizations to help new startups overcome constraints and dilemmas has become the consensus of various countries. In particular, the number of Chinese makerspaces has rapidly increased. Startups in the makerspaces form a loosely coupled dual network to cooperate and share resources, especially knowledge. Methodology: By convenience sampling, 400 startups in the makerspaces in Fujian Province, China were selected for the questionnaire survey study. In total, 307 valid responses were collected, yielding a response rate of 76.8%. The survey data were analyzed for hypothesis testing, using the PL-SEM technique with the AMOS20.0 software. Contribution: At the theoretical level, this research supplements the exploration of the influencing factors of the entrepreneurial bricolage of startups at the network level. It deepens the research on the internal mechanism of the dual network embeddedness affecting the knowledge-creation performance. In practice, it provides a theoretical basis and management inspiration for startups in makerspaces to overcome the inherent disadvantage of being too small and weak to explore innovative paths. Findings: First, relational embedding of startups in makerspaces directly affects knowledge-creation performance. Second, dual entrepreneurial bricolage plays a mediating role in diversity. Selective entrepreneurial bricolage plays a partial mediating role between relationship embedding and knowledge-creation performance. Parallel entrepreneurial bricolage plays a complete intermediary role between structural embedding and knowledge-creation performance. Dual entrepreneurial bricolage plays a complete intermediary role between knowledge embedding and knowledge-creation performance. Recommendations for Practitioners: Enterprises in the makerspaces should make dynamic adjustments to the network embedded state and dual entrepreneurial bricolage to improve knowledge-creation performance. When startups conduct selective entrepreneurship bricolage, they should strengthen relational and knowledge embeddedness to improve their relationship strength and tacit knowledge acquisition. When startups conduct parallel entrepreneurship bricolage, structural and knowledge embedding should be strengthened to improve the position of enterprises in the network to acquire diversified knowledge to explore and discover new business opportunities and project resources. Recommendation for Researchers: The heterogeneity of industries and regions may impact the dual network embedding mechanism of startups. Researchers can choose a wider range of regions and industries for sampling. Impact on Society: This study provides a theoretical basis and management inspiration for startups to overcome the inherent disadvantage of being too small and weak to explore innovative paths. It provides a basis to support startups in unleashing innovation vitality and achieving healthy growth. Future Research: Previous studies have shown that network relationships and bricolage behavior have a certain relationship with the enterprise life cycle. Future research can adopt a longitudinal research design across time points, which will increase the explanatory power of research conclusions.

Impact of Tacit Knowledge Acquisition on Innovation Performance of Innovative Enterprises in Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area

Impact of Tacit Knowledge Acquisition on Innovation Performance of Innovative Enterprises in Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area

Knowledge acquisitions and group reflexivity for innovative behaviours of SME workers: the moderating role of learning climates

ABSTRACT This study investigates explicit and tacit knowledge acquisition influences on group reflexivity and innovation behaviour in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and examines how relationships are moderated according to learning climate types, for example, structured or autonomous. This study provides a strategic view on how to link group reflexivity to innovative behaviour, according to learning climate types in SME contexts. Data were derived from participants employed in SMEs, enrolled in the Human Resource Development Council, and registered as panel informants of Korea research. In the hypotheses model, 335 responses were analysed, and group comparison analysis between structured and autonomous learning climates extracted 162 and 155 responses, respectively. The results show that tacit knowledge acquisition relates more highly than explicit knowledge to all relationships in promoting group reflexivity and innovative behaviours. Mediation effects strengthen under autonomous learning climates and disappear under structured learning climates.

A team approach to delivery of contextually relevant bioscience: encouraging student connections between tacit knowledge and new content acquisition

BackgroundBioscience is essential knowledge for nursing practice and is an important component of undergraduate nursing education, however students commonly feel anxious about studying the subject. The purpose of this study was to develop appropriately scoped contextually relevant bioscience lesson resources to enhance student engagement and performance and reduce attrition and unit failures over a sustained period.Methods Participants included students enrolled in the core bioscience unit for an undergraduate Bachelor of Nursing degree from a central campus and a widening participation (WP) campus. From 2016 to 2018, unit learning resources were progressively revised to include a structured learning and teaching manual, signposted lectures, and digital resources. Online surveys and formal institutional data collection metrics were used to assess the impact of the changes to unit learning resources.ResultsStudent attrition rates and failure rates for the unit were reduced over a two-year period across a diverse student cohort.ConclusionsScaffolded and diverse learning materials support the success of undergraduate bioscience students by improving student engagement and reducing cognitive load.

Assessing the adoption of knowledge acquisition practices in selected Northwestern Nigerian federal university libraries

Knowledge acquisition practices entails acquiring knowledge from documents, training, mentoring, conferences, interactions, experts and the use of information and communication technology facilities among others There is limited evidence of the adoption of knowledge acquisition practice in Northwestern Nigerian federal university libraries. The purpose of this study was to establish whether Northwestern Nigerian federal university libraries have adopted knowledge acquisition practices (KAP). This study applied descriptive research and had a target population of three hundred and ninety-three (393) librarians and the sample size of the study was 191. Both questionnaire and interview schedule were used for data collection. Descriptive statistics were used in analyzing the data collected while tables, and charts were used for tabulation and presentation. The study found out that tacit knowledge was acquired from seminars, conferences, workshops, research collaborations among others while explicit knowledge was acquired through documents and ICT tools. The study recommends the acquisition of tacit knowledge through sponsorship to enable librarians acquire tacit knowledge in research collaboration and formal training.

Roles selection: a computational approach using ELECTRE and CFFR based on Multi Criteria Tacit Knowledge Acquisition

During the Talent Development Intervention programme, there is a need to provide an effective model to assess awareness, skills and experience among potential academics. To qualify as an Academic Leader or Academic Manager, there are certain characteristics and t raits necessary. However, there is a lack of research on the training of talented academicians to improve and avoid the loss of these characteristics and traits. Lack of this training would also contribute to vacancy positions of Academic Administrator without being hired. This paper aims to formulate and compare the Multi-criteria Decision-Making methods using ELECTRE (Elimination and Choice Expressing Reality) and CFPR (Consistent Fuzzy Preference Relations) based on proposed model of Multi Criteria Tacit Knowledge Acquisition (MC-TKAF). One set of empirical study based on proposed model contain seventeen (17) main criteria’s and one hundred eights (108) sub criteria are used to select the best candidate to fill in academic administrator roles. In this study, our focus is to integrate MCDM using CFFR and ELECTRE into implementation of Talent Development Intervention based on MC-TKAF development criteria. This paper also highlighted previous literatures which has shown how MC TKAF is formed and the justification of MCDM technique that will be used. The finding shows that both techniques produce the same results.

Critical conversations as a tool for students' tacit knowledge construction: An interpretive research in interior design studio interactions

The explorative study presented in this paper aims to improve the understanding of design students' tacit knowledge acquisition in the interior design studio's social context. Constructivist theories and studio pedagogical concepts form the basis of the enquiry. The Environment and Interior Design (BA) program of the School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, was chosen as a case study for this interpretive research. A key linkage that emerged from the themes was the role of critical conversations in the facilitation of tacit knowledge. Findings of the study contribute towards recommending teaching and learning strategies that can improve the efficacy of tacit knowledge construction and in the process, improve design students' self- efficacy as learners and designers.

Machine Learning of Ambiguous Sentences and Analysis of relation between Ambiguous Sentences and Diagrams in Technical Manual for Tacit Knowledge Acquisition

Machine Learning of Ambiguous Sentences and Analysis of relation between Ambiguous Sentences and Diagrams in Technical Manual for Tacit Knowledge Acquisition