Externalization Of Tacit Knowledge Research Articles

The Contribution of Evaluation to Socialization and Externalization of Tacit Knowledge

International organizations are increasingly focusing on organizational learning. The experience accumulated by development agencies throughout the world has become a source of organizational knowledge, which, according to Nonaka, is transferred through processes of socialization and externalization. Based upon three case studies and in-depth interviewing of World Bank managers and evaluators over two years, this article explores the contribution of evaluation to organizational learning. The study analyses the use patterns of evaluation as a source of knowledge within the World Bank. Findings show that participatory designs and processes favour socialization of tacit knowledge through interaction between organizational members. Theory-driven evaluations help externalize tacit into codified or explicit knowledge. Particular evaluation constructs - i.e. ‘chilling effect’ - provide vocabulary that clarifies discussion and debate for strategic planning. Overall, managers value those evaluation properties associated with (a) first-hand data collection within country case studies, and (b) theory-driven analyses, externalizing tacit insights coming from the field.

Reflections on information glut and other issues in knowledge productivity

In this article the problem of information overflow and its consequences, both at individual and organisational levels, are discussed from a multidisciplinary and speculative perspective. It is argued that information overflow leads to the inflation of information, and causes stress and fatigue. This is why infoglut impairs knowledge productivity in organisations. It is also argued that the prevention and cure of infoglut is partly personal, and partly has to do with the development of organisational structures and cultures. In the overall framework of information glut and knowledge productivity, the following themes are also discussed: productive laziness as a precondition to creativity; intelligent organisation as a context of knowledge productivity; trust and externalisation of tacit knowledge; interconnections between creativity and knowledge productivity; and enhancing knowledge productivity through intelligent management.