The sharing of tacit knowledge within Glenrand MIB - a case study

Abstract

For a company operating in a knowledge industry, the management of tacit knowledge is a critical factor for sustainable success. The objectives of this research were to establish the level of management understanding of and focus on the sharing of tacit knowledge within one South African organisation in a knowledge industry, the extent to which tacit knowledge was being shared in the organisation, the levels of motivation to share that existed among the people at the organisation, and the impact of the internal structures within the organisation on the sharing of its tacit knowledge. The research involved a case study with Glenrand MIB Limited as the subject, using a triangulation method to reduce perceived researcher bias.The research findings indicated an intuitive understanding of the importance of sharing the tacit knowledge held by the people within the organisation, but very little focus on making it happen effectively. Tacit knowledge was only being shared in pockets within the organisation, and this was largely attributable to a lack of internal structures aimed at fostering motivation to share, and fostering the sharing of tacit knowledge. The physical structure housing the organisation’s head office was also found to act to inhibit the sharing of tacit knowledge within it.