Tacit Knowledge Acquisition Research Articles

Inadvertent Tacit Knowledge Transfer Through Work Routines In Innovation Teams.

This qualitative inductive study of five high-end cutting-edge culinary R&D teams in the US and Europe extends existing knowledge transfer research by showing how tacit knowledge can be transferred inadvertently in the course of everyday organizational routines. Specifically, I find that the iterative prototype-oriented product development routines commonly used to manage innovation and new product development enable inadvertent tacit knowledge transfer through the receipt, integration, and testing of rich information contained in prototype-focused feedback. I identify three distinct feedback practices that enrich the information content of feedback: Group (vs individual) feedback sessions, use of concrete exemplars (vs abstract concepts) in feedback, and outcome-focused (vs process- focused) feedback. Based on these findings, I develop a process theory of individual-level tacit knowledge acquisition through test-feedback-update cycles in the context of routine work.

The Role of Tacit Knowledge in Auditor Expertise and Human Capital Development

ABSTRACTTwo critical aspects of the model of auditor expertise development in Tan and Libby [1997] are that audit firms do not value tacit knowledge in inexperienced auditors but do value it in experienced auditors. We update the former and extend the latter. Our paper predicts and finds that audit firms now do value tacit knowledge in inexperienced auditors, especially when their supervisors have higher tacit knowledge. Our proxies of value include higher promotability assessments, annual evaluations, and cash bonuses. Our paper also extends Tan and Libby [1997] by positing that enhanced development of expertise and audit firm human capital are two reasons audit firms value tacit knowledge in experienced auditors. As predicted, higher tacit knowledge in experienced auditors is positively associated with higher tacit knowledge acquisition by their inexperienced subordinates and with stronger firm commitment of inexperienced subordinates having higher tacit knowledge.

Marketing practitioner’s tacit knowledge acquisition using Repertory Grid Technique (RTG)

The tacit knowledge of Marketing practitioner’s experts is excellent resources and priceless. It takes into account their experiential, skill, ideas, belief systems, insight and speculation into management decision-making. This expertise is an individual intuitive judgment and personal shortcuts to complete the work efficiently. Tacit knowledge of Marketing practitioner’s experts is one of best problem solutions in marketing strategy, environmental analysis, product management and partner’s relationship. This paper proposes the acquisition method of tacit knowledge from Marketing practitioner’s using Repertory Grid Technique (RGT). The RGT is a software application for tacit acquisition knowledge to provide a systematic approach to capture and acquire the constructs from an individual. The result shows the understanding of RGT could make TKE and MPE get a good result in capturing and acquiring tacit knowledge of Marketing practitioner’s experts.

A model for assessment of uncertainty in tacit knowledge acquisition

PurposeExpert systems have come to the forefront in the modeling of problems. One of the major problems facing the expert system designers is to develop an accurate knowledge base and a meaningful model of uncertainty associated with complex models. Decision-making is based on knowledge, and decision system support needs a knowledge base as well. An adequate knowledge acquisition (KA) process leads to accurate knowledge and improves the decision-making process. To manage the risk of a medical service (twin pregnancy in this case) a knowledge management system was created. The captured knowledge may be associated with an uncertainty. This study aims to introduce a method for evaluating the reliability of a tacit KA model. It assisted engineering managers in assessing and prioritizing risks. The study tried to use this method in risk management and new case in the health domain.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, relevant variables were identified in the knowledge management literature reviews and the domain of expertise management. They are validated by a group of domain experts. Kendall’s W indicator was used to assess the degree of consensus. On the basis of combined cognitive maps, a cognitive network was constructed. Using Bayesian belief networks and fuzzy cognitive maps, an uncertainty assessment method of tacit KA was introduced. To help managers focus on major variables, a sensitivity analysis was conducted. Reliability of model was calculated for optimistic and pessimistic values. The applicability and efficacy of the proposed method were verified and validated with data from a medical university.FindingsResults show that tacit KA uncertainty can be defined by independent variables, including environmental factors, personality and acquisition process factors. The reliability value shows the accuracy of the captured knowledge and the effectiveness of the acquisition process. The proposed uncertainty assessment method provides the reliability value of the acquisition model for knowledge engineers, so it can be used to implement the project and prevent failures in vital factors through necessary actions. If there is not a satisficed level of reliability, the KA project reliability can be improved by risk factors. The sensitivity analysis can help to select proper factors based on the resources. This approach mitigated some of the disadvantages of other risk evaluation methods.Originality/valueThe contribution of this study is to combine the uncertainty assessment with tacit KA based on fuzzy cognitive maps and the Bayesian belief networks approach. This approach used the capabilities of both narrative and computational approaches.

The effects of alliance governance on knowledge acquisition and alliance performance of Korean firms

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the effects of alliance governance including contractual and relational governance on alliance performance. We propose an analytical framework for examining the role of alliance governance on alliance performance with moderating and mediating effects. We obtain 205 survey responses from Korean firms that have experienced technology alliances. Empirical findings show that the relationship between alliance governance and alliance performance is moderated by knowledge acquisition. A contractual governance has a greater influence on explicit knowledge acquisition than tacit knowledge acquisition. On the other hand, relational governance is more closely related to tacit knowledge than to explicit knowledge. The influence of the interaction between relational governance and contractual governance on the performance appears to be negative.

A social network supported CAI model for tacit knowledge acquisition

Freehand sketching is one of the most important and commonly used methods of generating and sharing budding ideas during the conceptual development portion of the preliminary phase of design. To develop one’s skills, prolonged practice, acquiring instant feedback and suggestions while practicing are invaluable. The two key and indispensable parts of learning draftsmanship are viewing and commenting on large numbers of free hand sketches. However, due to insufficient educational resources, instructors must spend most of their time engaged in class-room teaching, reducing the time allotted for one-on-one discussion and specialized assistance. Furthermore, the lack of sketch grading criteria can prevent students from developing proper insights into the essentials of sketching. As a result, students neither receive personalized feedback nor acquire adequate training in critiquing freehand sketching skills. These factors decrease learning effectiveness and negatively impact learning motivation. In order to solve this problem, this research has created a discussion platform on Facebook that utilizes the learning characteristics essential to developing proficiency in freehand sketching. It includes practice, observation, and comments. It has been found that this cultivates the subjects’ ability to judge freehand sketch quality and increases learning motivation and effectiveness through the process of peer-assessment. After participating in the one-semester teaching experiment, the abilities of the experimental group were significantly better than those of the control group, demonstrating that the online sketch discussion platform has a significant impact on freehand sketch learning.

The Role of Knowledge Acquisition in a Company – Research Results from German and Polish Manufacturing Companies

Abstract This article elaborates the authors’ method for tacit knowledge acquisition focused on a research and development department in a manufacturing company. It presents a case study of the use of concepts for tacit knowledge acquisition and is based on a survey and data obtained from 85 Polish and German Manufacturing Companies from the cross-border cooperation region of Lubuskie/Poland – Brandenburg/Germany. This article develops a framework of tacit knowledge acquisition in a manufacturing company and further discusses the research results.

Research on Tacit Knowledge Acquisition Based on Gray Theory and RBF Neural Network

In the era of knowledge economy, Knowledge has become the main means of production and the core source for value creation. However, especially tacit knowledge acquisition, knowledge acquisition is bottleneck in all kinds of knowledge system, cutting down the benefit of knowledge sharing, application and innovation. In view of this, in this paper, the main ideas and deficiencies of the existing methods of knowledge acquisition are generalized. And then, the basic principles, characteristics and the integrated advantage of gray theory and RBF neural networks are analyzed. On this basis, three kinds of models are designed and discussed, which is able to obtain tacit rule set by using gray theory integrated with RBF neural network. Simultaneously, an empirical analysis is carried out to analyze application results of tacit knowledge acquisition, which includes five kinds of models using independent and integrated strategies.

Incidence of variables in the Transfer of Tacit Knowledge of Marketing in the hotel sector of Playa del Carmen city, Mexico

This research provided the validation of a model of the influence of marketing learning intention, personal motivation and absorptive capacity of marketing knowledge on the acquisition of tacit marketing knowledge and this in turn on the transfer of tacit knowledge of marketing between the employees of small and medium size hotels in the city of Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, in Mexico. Through a quantitative and transversal investigation, 229 employees of the hotel sector were integrated. The results showed that personal motivation and the intention to learn marketing positively intervene in the acquisition of tacit knowledge of marketing and, influenced by the capacity of absorption of marketing knowledge, directly affect the transfer of tacit knowledge of marketing.

Externalising and reusing of tacit knowledge in manufacturing task

In this paper, we present the application of knowledge engineering and externalisation of tacit knowledge in manufacturing industry, in order to improve the performance of a production system and save the knowledge capital of the company. The main aim of this study is to propose a knowledge model for manufacturing task combining common knowledge acquisition and design support (CommonKADS) and methodology for acquisition of tacit knowledge (MACTAK) methodologies, using two different knowledge base modelling based on two categories: (i) ontology and (ii) expert knowledge base. In that purpose, we suggest a process dedicated to industrial manufacturing, allowing to capitalise knowledge by: (1) Externalisation of tacit knowledge by MACTAK-methodology in industrial processes, (2) using knowledge engineering method; CommonKADS methodology, (3) Formalizing and modelling the domain knowledge using ontology and inference model, (4) presenting the implementation tool to support the knowledge model and (5) reusing the manufacturing knowledge model in decision support systems. The three pillars of methodology are: the externalisation process, Knowledge representation technique and quality tools. The proposed model is applied in manufacturing monitoring systems.

Tacit Knowledge Management Within Hospitality Establishments

Tacit knowledge is a concept developed in connection with knowledge management research field. It is acknowledged as the cornerstone of competitive advantage; however, merely its possession does not guarantee an edge in fierce competition. Even though tacit knowledge holds a dominative role towards labor efficiency, productivity and innovation, the subject of tacit knowledge acquisition and transfer has been rather unexploited, mostly due to its intrinsic, highly personal and seamlessly bonded to holder's personality, attributes. The purpose of the article is to contribute to the exploitation of the embedded tacit knowledge of employees in hospitality establishments, a sector where the employment of tacit knowledge has to be extensive and foremost, capitalizing the maximum of personnel competences. Moreover, the paper correlates tacit knowledge acquisition and transfer, with behaviors stemming from a working environment where task assignment is adjusted to employees personal characteristics. Towards this goal, research hypotheses were built and tested, using SEM Methodology.

Corporate social innovation: How firms learn to innovate for the greater good

This research explores how companies learn to engage in successful social innovation through the acquisition of tacit knowledge from external parties. The study draws from literature on knowledge transfer, corporate partnerships, and corporate social innovation (CSI) and extends the authors' previous research on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability-oriented innovation. Observations draw on a five-year longitudinal, multi-company, multinational study of over 70 firms. The research shows that much of the knowledge exchanged in CSI is tacit knowledge that companies develop from shared interactions and experiences. This article describes CSI relationship platforms along two dimensions: 1) distance of engagement from firm value chain, and 2) intensity of investments and interactions. This research relies on inductive methods and aims at pattern definition and theory building rather than theory testing. Specific examples explain CSI processes and provide guidance to managers. The findings have relevance to companies seeking to innovate in the CSR and “shared value” space, to social entrepreneurs, and to researchers interested in these topics.

Network embeddedness and local firm's tacit knowledge acquisition in international strategic alliances

This research proposes a theoretical model about how local firms' network embeddedness with international leading firms influences its tacit knowledge acquisition. Using data from 143 local firms in China, this research examines the association between network embeddedness and tacit knowledge acquisition. The results show that local firms' information embeddedness with international strategic partners can enhance their acquisition of explicit knowledge; local firms' work embeddedness with international strategic partners can enhance their tacit knowledge acquisition; local firms' explicit knowledge acquisition supports their understanding and acquisition of tacit knowledge; and explicit knowledge acquisition partially mediates the relationship between information embeddedness and tacit knowledge acquisition.

Network embeddedness and local firm's tacit knowledge acquisition in international strategic alliances

Network embeddedness and local firm's tacit knowledge acquisition in international strategic alliances

A Model of a Tacit Knowledge Transformation for the Service Department in a Manufacturing Company: A Case Study

AbstractThis article elaborates on the development of a dedicated model of a tacit knowledge transformation for the service department in a manufacturing company. The four main components of the tacit knowledge transformation process are formulated: (1) tacit knowledge source identification, (2) tacit knowledge acquisition, (3) tacit knowledge determination and formalization, and (4) knowledge classification. The proposed model is illustrated by examples on the use of the methods: automatic recognition of speech, natural language processing, and automatic object recognition in the tacit knowledge transformation process in order to obtain a formalized procedure for the service department in a manufacturing company. This is followed by a discussion of the results of the research experiments.

Methodology for acquisition of collective tacit knowledge used in diagnosis of defect cause in industrial processes

Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to build the MACTAK methodology, which aims to transform collective tacit knowledge into the explicit one using knowledge elicitation techniques, associated to quality tools structured by systemography, represent it in a symbolic language and production rules and model it in two expert systems which can assist the investigation of defect causes during the metal packaging production process. Design/methodology/approach – The method applied in the research was classified as exploratory, because a preliminary study was conducted, to better suit the mapping methodology for eliciting collective tacit knowledge, to the reality which was intended to be known. Through studies and the application of the systemography technique, a methodology for the elicitation of collective tacit knowledge has been developed. It suggests a systematic sequence of activities, to map and transform collective tacit knowledge into the explicit one, on the production process which was studied. Findings – The types of tacit knowledge were mapped and became explicit through the application of the methodology proposed. A knowledge management system was created, as such knowledge was validated by other mechanics during their training on the shop-floor, which resulted in a structure of unique and shared knowledge. They became explicit for being stored in a knowledge base and presented to its users through the expert system. It is concluded that the methodology of acquiring collective tacit knowledge helped on the reduction of rework index by standardizing the way used to investigate the cause of the defect, in the studied company. Research limitations/implications – The MACTAK methodology was developed for exclusive use in industrial processes where the following elements are presented: process, method, environment, raw materials, labor work, measurement and machine. In this method, the detection of the problem occurs from statistical data. Practical implications – The methodology began in August 2010, and in October 2011, obtained as a result a reduction in rework cost equivalent to US$17,780.95. Originality/value – The methodology is unique, as it refers to the systematic use of knowledge acquisition techniques and tools of quality, and the methodology has a characteristic of direct application in manufacturing processes. The beneficiaries, in this case, are mechanicals of production and quality inspectors that work at the operation level in the company. For the organizational and tactical level, the beneficiaries are engineers of production.

Bringing tacit knowledge back to contributory and interactional expertise: A reply to Goddiksen

We analyse a recent paper by Goddiksen (2014) where the author raises questions about the relationship between authorship, attribution and Collins & Evans' concept of contributory and interactional expertise. We then highlight recent empirical work in the sociology of climate change science that has made similar points in order to clarify how authorship, division of labour and contribution are handled in real scientific settings. Despite this, Goddiksen's critique of both contributory and interactional expertise is ultimately ineffective because it rests on a misguided attempt to de-socialise these concepts. We conclude by stressing the importance of collective tacit knowledge acquisition through immersion as a critical step in becoming a full-blown contributory or interactional expert.

A novel two-stage method for acquiring engineering-oriented empirical tacit knowledge

Engineering-oriented empirical tacit knowledge (ETK) is a kind of tacit knowledge originated from domain expert’s experience combined with practice cases and scenarios. It is an important source of organisation knowledge. However, due to operational and technical obstacles, this kind of knowledge is not sufficiently harnessed and put into practical use. To deal with this problem, a novel two-stage acquisition method is proposed in this paper. The acquisition method consists of two phases, the stage from ETK in the mind of expert to ETK in initial state, and the stage from ETK in initial state to structured ETK. It constructs a complete tacit knowledge acquisition process from the domain expert’s experience to the structured tacit knowledge. The objective is achieved by taking the following procedures: Firstly, present the concept of engineering-oriented ETK and a five-dimension representation model of ETK. Secondly, construct a two-stage ETK acquisition framework. Finally, describe an engineering decision case to validate the feasibility of the proposed approach. Satisfactory results are reached for the study.

Software Reuse Facilitated by the Underlying Requirement Specification Document: A Knowledge-Based Approach

Reinventing the wheel may not be appropriate in all instances of software development, and so, rather than do this, reuse of software artifacts should be embraced. Reuse offers certain benefits which include reduction in the overall development costs, increased reliability, standards compliance, accelerated development and reduced process risk. However, reusable software artifacts may not be considered useful if they cannot be accessed and understood. In this work, a knowledge based system was designed to capture requirements specification documents as abstract artifacts to be reused. Both explicit and tacit knowledge identification and acquisition- an important step in knowledge base development, was carried out through extraction from customer requirement documents, interviews with domain experts and personal observations. Protege4.1 was used as a tool for developing the Ontology. Web Ontology Language (OWL) was the search mechanism used to search the classified ontology to deduce reusable requirement components based on the underlying production rules for querying and retrieval of artifacts. Knowledge was formalized and result testing was carried out using software requirement specification documents from different domains. Result shows that only requirements with similar object properties called system purpose could really reuse such artifacts. The possibility of accessing more reusable artifacts lies in the update of the repository with more requirement specification documents. Scopes and purposes of previously developed software that would suit a proposed system in the same (or similar) domain would be found and consequently support the reuse of any of the end-products of such previously developed software.

Facilitating Leader Tacit Knowledge Acquisition

The aim of the paper is to identify how to support the moulding of tacit knowledge which is necessary for success in a managerial position within a framework for the preparation and development of managers. The paper is based on an analysis of expert publications and the results of a completed project. Research respondents and theorists agree with the necessity for active involvement of trainees. It is also important to develop knowledge within the framework of manager preparation with significant reflection on learning from mistakes. From the methods of tacit knowledge transfer a close collaboration with experienced people, working in teams, training of model situations, goal-directed interviews, coaching, job rotation, short term attachments and excursions seem to be the most beneficial. It is also important to pay attention to the cultivation of organisational culture, especially in the sense of accepting knowledge sharing as the norm.