Abstract
A central issue in the knowledge management literature is the definition of the nature of knowledge, and particularly the distinction between tacit and explicit knowledge. This paper reviews some of the common standpoints on this issue, but argues that, within an organisational context, a useful alternative view is one in which knowledge is viewed as a systemic property of the organisational system to which it belongs. Thus, attempts to codify knowledge, and position it on a tacit-explicit continuum, are sometimes misplaced. Instead, this paper advocates approaches that view knowledge as a holistic system property. The paper considers the practical implication of this stance, from the perspective of knowledge transfer between individuals and between organisations, and investigates the potential that this stance offers OR practitioners.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Nonaka I (1994). A Dynamic Theory of Organizational Knowledge Creation. Org Sci 5: 14–37.
Huber GP (1991). Organizational learning: the contributing processes and the literatures. Org Sci 2: 88–115.
Sieloff C (1999). If only HP knew what HP knows. J Knowl Manage 3: 47–53.
Davenport TH, DeLong DW and Beers MC (1998). ‘Successful knowledge management projects’. Sloan Manage Rev Winter: 43–57.
Davenport TH and Prusak L (1998). Working Knowledge. Harvard Business School Press: Boston, USA.
Ezingeard J, Leigh S, Chandler-Wilde R (2000). Knowledge Management and Ernst & Young UK: Getting Value Through Knowledge Flows. In: Orlikowski et al (eds), Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Information Systems. Brisbane, Australia, pp 807–821.
Huber GP (2000). Transferring Soft Knowledge: Suggested Solutions and Needed Studies. Proceedings of the KMAC 2000 Knowledge Management Conference. Edwards J and Kidd J (eds). Birmingham, July, pp 12–22.
Szulanski G (1996). Exploring internal stickiness: impediments to the transfer of best practices within the firm. Strateg Manage J 17: Winter, 27–44.
Matusik SF and Hill CWI (1998). The utilisation of contingent work, knowledge creation, and competitive advantage. Academy of Management Review 23: 680–697.
Grant RM (1996). Towards a knowledge-based theory of the firm. Strateg Manage J 17: 109–122.
Hall R and Andriani P (1999). Managing knowledge associated with innovation. Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on the Dynamics of Strategy. 23–23 April 1999, University of Surrey.
Alavi M and Leidner DE (1999). Knowledge Management Systems: Issues, Challenges, and Benefits. Commun AIS Article 7 1: 1–28.
Hedesstrom T and Whitley E (2000). What is meant by tacit knowledge? Proceedings of the 8th ECIS Conference. Hansen HR, Bichler B and Mahrer H (eds), 46–51, Vienna.
Hansen MT, Nohria N and Thierney T (1999). ‘What's Your Strategy for Managing Knowledge,’ Harv Bus Rev March–April: 106–116.
Sutton D (2001). What is knowledge and can it be managed? European J Inf Syst 10: 80–88.
Zander and Zander cited in Howells J (1996). Tacit knowledge, innovation, and technology transfer. Technol Anal Strat Manage 8: 92–106.
Nelson RR and Winter SG (1982). An Evolutionary Theory of Economic Change. Harvard University Press: Cambridge, MA, USA.
Collins H and Kusch M (1998). The shape of actions: What humans and machines can do. MIT Press: Cambridge, MA, USA.
Miller D and Shamsie J (1996). The resource-based view of the firm in two environments. Acad Manage J 39: 519–543.
Churchman CW (1972). The Design of Enquiring Systems; Basic Concepts of Systems and Organizations. Bencis Books: NY.
Brown AD (1998). Narrative, politics and legitimacy in an IT implementation. J Manage Stud 35: 35–58.
Simonin B (1999). Ambiguity and the process of knowledge transfer in strategic alliances. Strat Manage J 20: 595–623.
Lane P and Lubatkin M (1998). Relative absorptive capacity and interorganizational learning. Strat Manage J 19: 461–477.
Loebbecke C and Powell P (2001). Managing Inter-organizational Knowledge Sharing Through Strategic Co-ordination and Control Mechanisms, submitted to J Manage Inf Syst.
Cohen WM and Levinthal DA (1990). Absorptive capacity: a new perspective on learning and innovation. Admin Sci Quart 35: 128–152.
Connell NAD and Powell P (1990). A comparison of potential applications of expert systems and decision support systems. J Opl Res Soc 41: 431–439.
Edwards JS (1991). Building Knowledge Based Systems. Pitman: London.
Gill TG (1995). Early Expert Systems: Where are they now? MIS Quarterly. March, 51–81.
Yoon Y, Guimaraes T, O'Neal Q (1995). Exploring the factors associated with expert system success. MIS Quarterly March: 83–107.
Alavi M and Leidner DE (2001). Knowledge management and knowledge management systems: conceptual foundations and research issues. MIS Quarterly 25: 107–136.
Pettigrew A and Fenton E (2000). The Innovating Organisation. Sage Publications: London.
Ruggles R (1998). The state of the notion: knowledge management in practice. Calif Manage Rev 40: 80–89.
Zack MH (1999). Managing codified knowledge. Sloan Manage Rev 40: 45–58.
Weiser M and Morrison J (1998). Project memory: information management for project teams. J Manage Inf Syst 14: 149–166.
Stein EW and Zwass V (1995). Actualizing organizational memory with information systems. Inf Syst Res 6: 85–117.
Smith R (1994). Towards a knowledge-based health service. Br Med J 309: 217–218.
Sackett D, Rosenberg WMC, Muir Gray JC, Haynes RB and Richardson W (1996). Evidence-based Medicine: what it is and what it isn't. Br Med J 312: 71–72.
Atkins C and Louw G (2000). Reclaiming knowledge: a case for evidence-based information systems. In: Hansen R, Bichler M and Mahrer H (eds). Proceedings of the 8th European Conference on Information Systems. Vienna, pp 39–45.
Hakanson L (2001). The rediscovery of articulation. Eur Bus For 5: 29–368.
Pentland B and Reuter H (1994). Organizational Routines as Grammars of Action. Admin Sci Quart 39: 484–510.
Giddens A (1984). The Constitution of Society. University of California Press: Berkeley, CA.
Lenat D and Guha R (1990). Building Large Knowledge-based Systems. Addison-Wesley: Reading, MA, USA.
Argyris C and Schon DA (1978). Organisational Learning: A theory of action perspective. Addison-Wesley: Reading, MA, USA.
Senge P (1990). The Fifth Discipline: The art and practice of the learning organisation. New York, Random House, USA.
Weick KE (1995). Sensemaking in Organisations. Sage: Thousand Oaks, California.
Walsh JP and Ungson GR (1991). Organizational memory. Academy of Manage Rev 16: 57–91.
Anand V, Mantz CC and Glick WH (1998). An organizational memory approach to information management. Acad Manage Rev 23: 796–809.
Parsons T (1959). General Theory in Sociology. In Sociology Today: Problems and Prospects. Merton R, Broom L and Cotrell LS (eds), 3–37, Basic Books, New York, USA.
Reagan and Rohrbaugh (1990). Group decision process effectiveness: a competing values approach. Group Org Stud 15: 20–43.
Connell C, Klein J, Loebbecke C and Powell P (2001). Towards a knowledge management consultation system. Knowl Proc Manage 8: 48–55.
Checkland PB (1981). Systems Thinking, Systems Practice. Wiley: Chichester.
Mingers J, Gill A (eds). Multimethodology: The theory and practice of combining management science methodologies. Wiley: Chichester.
Ormerod RJ (1997). The design of organisational intervention: choosing an approach. Omega 25: 415–435.
Meyer E, Connell NAD and Klein JH Towards a Constructivist Model of Knowledge Management, 16th Triennial Conference of the International Federation of OR Societies, Edinburgh, July, 2002.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Connell, N., Klein, J. & Powell, P. It's tacit knowledge but not as we know it: redirecting the search for knowledge. J Oper Res Soc 54, 140–152 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jors.2601444
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jors.2601444