Title: Tapping tacit knowledge on a digital platform

Authors: Ping Lan

Addresses: School of Management, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 775–6080, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA

Abstract: This article examines the status of exploiting intangible or tacit knowledge by using current digital platform. Based on analysing knowledge generation channels and changes brought about by information and communication technology, it argues that connectivity and written language based the internet have accelerated the process of knowledge transformation in three ways. Firstly, there is a fast conversion of knowledge from tacit to explicit state through easy publishing such as website and weblog. Secondly, there is a large-scale gathering of explicit knowledge through deploying database such as search engine and various portals. Thirdly, there is a wide and cost-effective sharing of both tacit and explicit knowledge through easy accessing such as e-mail and instant messaging. However, to release the power of the current digital platform for exploiting tacit knowledge, several challenges have to be dealt with for reducing the leaking of tacit knowledge and increasing the efficiency of knowledge transformation process.

Keywords: knowledge generation channels; current digital platforms; tacit knowledge; intangible knowledge; ICT; information technology; communications; internet; knowledge transformation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLIC.2007.015613

International Journal of Learning and Intellectual Capital, 2007 Vol.4 No.3, pp.315 - 330

Published online: 05 Nov 2007 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article