Tacit Knowledge Acquisition Research Articles

Case Study on Tacit Knowledge Management Systems within X Company

Case study on tacit knowledge management system within X company includes the design of tacit knowledge management system (the recognition and acquisition of tacit knowledge), mechanisms (the factor analysis for the transition and sharing of tacit knowledge) and implementation (the sharing enterprise culture build, the effective incentive mechanism construct and the organization structure design). The evaluation system is established based on critical success factors (the recognition capability, the sharing standard, the sharing mechanism of tacit knowledge). The purpose of study is to improve tacit knowledge management system within enterprise.

Visual Exploration of Complex Network Data Using Affective Brain-Computer Interface

This paper describes the current state of the work aimed towards an affective application of BCI to the task of complex data visual exploration. The developed technological approach exploits the idea of supporting tacit and complex domain-specific knowledge acquisition during the examination of visual images built using large input data sets. The presented experimental research on the complex network data exploration process shows the capabilities of the presented approach through the analysis of a user’s affective state estimation.

Creation of a Knowledge Society via the Use of Mobile Blog: A Model of Integrated Meaningful Hybrid E-training

Mobile blog or “moblog” provides a coherent purpose for strategic educational change through lifelong education and the creation of a knowledge society. Many studies have been conducted on using conventional blogs in teaching and learning yet only few have focused on moblogs. Moblogs allow trainers to empower themselves through the acquisition of both explicit and tacit knowledge. Thus, this study aims at designing, developing and implementing moblogs as a platform for a new hybrid e-training approach, which was tested to generate a two-stage model for meaningful hybrid e-training. The data were collected from 213 Information Communication Technology (ICT) trainees which were subsequently tested using confirmatory factor analysis with AMOS 7.0 to obtain the best-fit measurement model for an integrated meaningful hybrid e-training model using moblogs. The results revealed that: (i) hybrid e-training influenced the achievement of meaningful e-training; (ii) learning styles influenced the acceptance of hybrid e-training; and (iii) learning styles preferences influenced the achievement of meaningful e-training.

INTERNATIONAL SPILLOVERS, KNOWLEDGE ACQUISITION AND TRANSFER AMONG JAPANESE FIRMS IN THE UNITED STATES

In this paper, we investigate (i) the relationship between international spillovers and knowledge acquisition, and, (ii) intra-firm subsidiary-to-parent transfer of technology among Japanese firms in the United States. Using a survey of 185 firms, probit regressions reveal that R&D personnel and market power significantly influence the acquisition of knowledge associated with basic and applied science and product development. Tacit knowledge that resides in customers, and skilled personnel are effective sources for exploitation of international knowledge spillovers. Participation in seminars and conferences also enhances the acquisition of applied science. Firms that rely on codified sources are unlikely to acquire any knowledge. This research also confirms other authors’ findings that subsidiary autonomy facilitates knowledge acquisition. In addition, knowledge in product development is most likely to lead to vertical intra-firm transfers while applied scientific research only results in the transfer of R&D capability. Scientific team visits from the US to Japan support subsidiaries’ transfer of R&D capability but teams sent from Japan to the US adversely affect transfers. Overall, our results suggest international spillovers are predominantly associated with the acquisition of tacit knowledge, and intra-firm transfers are most effective in the context of knowledge acquired in applied research and product development.

Learning City Regions: Theory and Practice in Private and Public Sector Spatial Planning

In this article, it is argued that there are at least two different conceptual definitions of the learning region. The first sees them as localities that are spatially differentiated by capacities to collaborate and generate new economically valuable knowledge. The second sees them as an alternative policy prescription to overcome the persistent disadvantages of lagging regions. These different definitions lead to a lack of conceptual clarity in what empirical characteristics might count as a learning region. There is some agreement between them on the significance of knowledge networks as vehicles for the development of trust relations and the acquisition of tacit knowledge. In this context, the relationships between spatial planning and the development of soft and hard connectivity to facilitate networking are examined in the contrasting city-regions of Cambridge and Swansea. It is concluded that less favoured regions require demand-led increases in the proportions of innovative firms in order to accelerate their economic development based on learning region strategies.

Developing a Framework for Ethnomedicine Innovation System in Nigeria

This paper examines the interactions within the national Innovation System in order to develop a framework for an Ethnomedicine system for Nigeria. The strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat inherent in the existing national Innovation System were examined and a modified framework was proposed by the creation of a linkage between the Local National Innovation System Structure and the Developed World’s National Innovation System. This proposed linkage is expected to be fast-tracked through Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flow, in form of technology transfer, technical collaboration, technical assistance, technology-based strategic alliances, among others in the field of ethnomedicine. Through this linkage, the acquisition of tacit knowledge, product and process know-how, better management practices, skill, critical mass, best practices in advanced technologically superior operations needed to upgrade the value of Nigerian ethnomedicine research could be realized, through technological spillover since medicine plants are plentiful in Nigeria.

Korean international joint ventures: how the exchange climate affects tacit knowledge transfer from foreign parents

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop and test a theoretical model to examine how exchange climate attributes and contextual factors between two parent firms in an international joint venture (IJV) affect tacit knowledge transfer. The authors investigate how this tacit knowledge, which comprises international marketing expertise, knowledge about foreign cultures and tastes and managerial practices, impacts IJV performance.Design/methodology/approachBased on data from a survey of IJV managers in 326 Korean firms from a variety of industries, structural equation modeling (AMOS 18.0) is used to test the authors’ hypotheses.FindingsThe findings show that conflict resolution and cooperation positively affect tacit knowledge transfer, but communication does not. It was found that the difference in the relative levels of economic development in the environments of partners significantly influences tacit knowledge acquisition, but cultural distance does not. Tacit knowledge acquisition positively influences IJV performance.Originality/valueThe paper fills a gap in the literature by articulating the relationships between exchange climate attributes and tacit knowledge acquisition. Exchange climate, characterized by behavioral processes that directly impact knowledge transfer, constitutes an important missing link in prior research about tacit knowledge transfer. The paper contributes to a better understanding of the dynamic relationships among relational capital, exchange climate and tacit knowledge transfers. The model the authors develop and test has important implications for the design of organizational processes that facilitate tacit knowledge transfer.

Repertory grid technique in the development of Tacit-based Decision Support System (TDSS) for sustainable site layout planning

Site layout planning is a significant but relatively ignored work on construction site, which has been treated improperly as somewhat routine. It is known that the complex interrelationship of material, equipment, laborers, space, environment, assess road, surrounding buildings, and building types affect the productivity and efficiency of a construction process. This complexity was inhibiting the smooth flow of resources especially when many trade contractors were working simultaneously on site. The study aimed to extract a set of core factors in site planning focusing on the tacit knowledge acquisition process to develop a Tacit-based Decision Support System (TDSS). A combination of the repertory grid technique and open-structured interviews was conducted for the tacit knowledge acquisition process. Cluster analysis and repertory grid analysis on the extensive responses from a structured interview were conducted. A computer program entitled “TDSS” was developed as a flexible tool to assist both senior and junior site layout planning engineers.

Managing effective knowledge acquisition in outsourcing alliances: A suppliers perspective

Knowledge acquisition through international outsourcing alliances often plays a key in increasing a firm’s technology capability. However, knowledge acquisition is not an easy process, as it relates to the firm’s learning ability, the quality of the partnership, cross-national communication, and knowledge ambiguity, etc. Few studies discuss knowledge acquisition from the perspective of suppliers in newly industrialized economies, and often overlook the usefulness of information technology in the learning process. As a result, there are still some research gaps on this topic. Therefore, this study adopts the supplier point of view to explore the differences between suppliers with more or less effective knowledge acquisition. Using a sample of 204 cases of international outsourcing alliances, this study shows that learner characteristics, partnerships, and the use of information technology are the primary factors affecting supplier knowledge acquisition. This study also investigates the different learning patterns of tacit knowledge acquisition and explicit knowledge acquisition. Key words: suppliers, international outsourcing alliance, knowledge acquisition, learner characteristics, partnership, informational technology.

Tacit Knowledge Acquisition Method for the Process of Concept Design

In the industrial design area,a method of tacit knowledge acquisition for the concept design process is put forwards to expand the design knowledge space.With the discussion on the basic definition of design knowledge and the tacit knowledge,the concept design process is the important resource of tacit knowledge,which integrates specific problem,scenario and design experience.According to the characteristics of the tacit knowledge production and transformation,the knowledge acquisition strategies are established,including collecting the date from the bottom cognitive behavior,defining full concept system and processing the information by degrees.During the tacit knowledge acquisition process,the information on designer's individual activities is captured on the basis of oral reports,QOC(Question,Option,Criterion) and sketch explanation method.The design states are divided according to the sketch scheme,and items of information are collected and arranged.Based on the knowledge transformation principle of the pre-concept defining information,the target knowledge of design object and process is expressed by the knowledge meta-model and the ontology configuration.The innovation degree of transformed knowledge is evaluated by the combination method of objection and subjection.Finally,the knowledge acquisition system is established to verify the above methods by the cases of USB flash disk form tacit knowledge acquisition for USB flash disk form design.

Tacit knowledge acquisition – a social capital approach

Social capital has evolved from an interdisciplinary standpoint. Recently, interests over it have been instigated by entrepreneur literatures because of the arising need to understand its contribution to quality of resource-based management, specifically knowledge-based resources, which provides a great possibility for a successful firm performance. Nevertheless, knowledge and information, just like social capital, are multidimensional in sources and consequences. Scholars have differentiated between tacit and explicit knowledge to clearly present their argument that these two types of knowledge fit various networks of social relations for optimal performance. Therefore, an in-depth investigation of the correlation between social capital and tacit knowledge acquisition is essential to the establishment of a framework that would shed light on the implications of social relations in the corporate world.

Investigating Tacit Knowledge Acquisition and Sharing from the Perspective of Social Relationships-A Multilevel Model

Several researchers have frequently regarded tacit knowledge sharing among employees as a process of social interaction. This study employs the perspective of social relationship for investigating an employee's tacit knowledge acquisition and sharing within a workgroup. We propose a multilevel research model that includes both individual- and group-level variables and collect data through a multi-informant questionnaire design. Analyses are based on data collected from 279 respondents participating in 93 work groups across 58 organizations in Taiwan. The results are presented in terms of four aspects as follows. First, tacit knowledge acquisition is found to be facilitated by relational embeddedness. Second, tacit knowledge acquisition has both direct and indirect effects on the tacit knowledge sharing intention. Third, descriptive norms and self efficacy have a positive effect on tacit knowledge sharing intention. Finally, the results of cross-level analyses indicate that an affiliation climate rather than a fairness climate is positively related to tacit knowledge sharing intention.

The Basic Tacit Knowledge Acquisition Model of Industrial Organization and its SD Simulation

Knowledge is increasingly becoming one of the most important productive factors those which create the value of the industrial organization. In fierce market competition, the tacit knowledge is the vital resource for corporation to build and obtain competition advantage. From the perspective of the basic model of tacit knowledge acquisition, this paper studies how the tacit knowledge spreads between two corporations, and uses the theory of System Dynamics (SD) to analyze it by the method of Computer-aided Simulation.

Improving knowledge management and organisational learning: the use of scenarios and domain memory in academic tutoring

In this paper, we present an approach for sharing knowledge that utilises features of Domain Memory Information Systems to support academic tutoring. This approach uses Scenarios for capturing tacit knowledge and ontology for standardising data from diverse knowledge sources, as well as presenting a common understanding of concepts among the tutors and tutees. Using the Nonaka and Takeuchi's knowledge spiral model, we demonstrate how the architecture supports the knowledge management process from the acquisition of tacit knowledge through sharing of explicit knowledge among tutors and tutees.

Relational mechanisms, formal contracts, and local knowledge acquisition by international subsidiaries

AbstractThis research focuses on relational and contractual mechanisms and examines their impact on foreign subsidiaries' acquisition of tacit and explicit knowledge from local suppliers. Using survey data from 168 foreign subsidiaries operating in China, this study finds broad support for the proposed analytical framework. When the foreign subsidiary and supplier share common goals, the foreign subsidiary acquires greater levels of both explicit and tacit knowledge; trust between the two parties promotes the acquisition of greater levels of tacit than explicit knowledge. However, access to the local supplier network through the focal supplier enables the foreign subsidiary to acquire greater levels of explicit but not tacit knowledge. Formal contracts play a complementary role in knowledge acquisition: contracts enhance the acquisition of explicit knowledge and further strengthen the effects of relational mechanisms on tacit and explicit knowledge acquisition. Overall, these findings provide important implications for foreign subsidiaries regarding how to acquire local knowledge in host countries through both formal and informal mechanisms. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Standardizing FM knowledge acquisition when information is inadequate

PurposeBesides designing a comprehensive building maintainability scoring system, this paper aims to develop a standard and reliable method for acquisition of tacit knowledge in facility management (FM) and convert the same into organizational records so that the current dearth of information and poor feedback leading to recurrent defects and arbitrary FM strategies can be eliminated.Design/methodology/approachNine major building elements in terms of maintainability were compared by analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Various aspects of consistency checking and group decision making were reviewed to find the best suitable method. During data collection via an AHP questionnaire in face‐to‐face interviews, logical reasoning employed by experts was noted and later matched with the subjective data.FindingsIt was observed that technical viability of services and business profile given by building height and location, respectively, set different priorities for major building elements. HVAC system is the prime element followed by elevator and façade. Such priorities can be derived from consistent judgment which improves steadily with a decision‐maker's work experience. A threshold of 10 per cent consistency and aggregating individual priorities (AIP) using geometric mean method of AHP were found most appropriate.Practical implicationsAdaptation of this framework will help industry experts to document their tacit knowledge in a structured manner without facing present constraints. By tracking the recorded facts and logical reasoning, neophytes can learn the multi‐faceted aspects of FM without trial and error.Originality/valueThis research establishes AHP as a standard and reliable method for knowledge acquisition and thus elevates its status from a multi‐criteria decision analysis tool to decision enhancement tool.

Acquisition of tacit marketing knowledge

PurposeFocusing on entrepreneurship in China's emerging economy, this paper aims to explore the extent to which the human capital and social capital of Chinese entrepreneurs facilitates their acquisition of tacit marketing knowledge.Design/methodology/approachObservation and literature review are presented.FindingsThe paper proposes a conceptual framework that links tacit marketing knowledge and entrepreneurs' human and social capital. When accessibility of the general knowledge of expertise and professional business in a society is low, Chinese entrepreneurs in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) thus depend on their own resources of human capital and abilities of social capital to acquire tacit knowledge. Both specific and general human capitals facilitate Chinese entrepreneurs' acquisition of tacit marketing knowledge. With a strong awareness of the low level of institutional trust in the current transition economy, Chinese entrepreneurs develop the interpersonal trusting relationship to gain social support. Through the trust and trustworthiness, the quality of relationships in business networks creates the personal relational resource for tacit knowledge reciprocity.Originality/valueThis paper fills the gap in the literature by identifying critical intervening components of human and social capitals in the entrepreneurship process in China's emerging market knowledge which have previously remained untouched. The key issues of how Chinese entrepreneurs of private SMEs initially acquire knowledge‐based resources to operate their businesses are critically proposed.

Technology as a Tool for Leadership Development: Effectiveness of Automated Web-Based Systems in Facilitating Tacit Knowledge Acquisition

The effectiveness of emerging technology in helping to develop the tacit or experience-based knowledge needed for effective leadership performance was demonstrated in an on-line environment for discussion and training. One hundred and twenty-seven military students participated in three 20-minute discussions in one of three learning environments: standard classroom; standard on-line discussion; and discussion assisted by semantic technology. Consistent with expectations, semantic technology-supported learning resulted in greater discussion participation and training performance with discussion participation mediating the relationship between the learning environment and training satisfaction. An interaction between learning goal orientation (LGO) and learning environment on tacit knowledge performance showed that face-to-face conditions may help those with low LGO. Implications for improving tacit knowledge acquisition and technology-supported leadership development practices are discussed.

The Growing Need to Quantify Tacit Knowledge for a Sustainable Competitive Advantage

Most of the research communities tackle Knowledge Management from a Technological point of view, and neglecting the socio-psychological side of the equation.Psychology and education offered us an invaluable tool namely: the Knowledge Transfer or Cognitive Mapping.It is a tool available to the foreign investor to help him operate in a Cross-cultural Knowledge context. Blumentritt and Johnson set up a framework to measure the degree of difficulty in transferring knowledge.Physics and the law of thermodynamics also offered us the mathematical best fit to understand knowledge acquisition and development.Just like human beings must counteract the effect of oxidation which can be regarded as the depletion of organism cells by regularly extracting anti-oxidants. If the rate of extraction is less than the rate of depletion, the organism will be in a state of degradation and ultimately death. The Firm in a similar way must counteract the effect of deterioration which is a natural process caused by the business environment, products of today are already the products of the past (Drucker).This research seeks a deeper understanding of organizational and psychological phenomena taking place during the adoption and implementation of KM in a cross-cultural context.This initiative is to assist the reader in being able to:1. Understand the difficulty to access tacit knowledge and this mainly due to the heterogeneity of mind mapping. We refer to the heterogeneity especially with regards to the difficulty of implicit knowledge transfer. Thus, the focus of the research, is to target knowledge resources requirements.2. But most importantly to help the reader gain lead time in the acquisition and management of tacit knowledge using a mathematical model.

‘Catching’ the concept of spiritual care: implementation of an education programme

This article will outline the achievements of a project group as they translate the recommendations set out in the UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance on spiritual care provision in clinical practice (NICE, 2004). It was evident that there was an opportunity to offer a comprehensive, competency-based course that developed recognition of the spiritual care needs of patients with cancer and their carers. A two-day experiential programme was devised that included role play, the evidence base, theory and fun, resulting in the acquisition of tacit and explicit knowledge. The course was based around the following tenets: Spiritual issues are broader than religious ones and include a quest for meaning in the illness, resolution of old conflicts and integration of past life experiences (Barraclough, 1994). We cannot know others except by knowing ourselves (Carrither, 1992). It is hoped that by providing holistic training that stimulates the growth of an individual's spirituality and allows them to identify their spiritual needs, we can increase understanding, awareness, confidence and knowledge in ways that can have a real application within the workplace, enabling spiritual care provision to become realistically integral to care.