Title: Methods for sharing tacit nuclear knowledge and expertise

Authors: Niina Rintala, Laura Hyttinen

Addresses: BIT Research Centre, Helsinki University of Technology, P.O. Box 5500, FIN-02015 HUT, Finland. ' BIT Research Centre, Helsinki University of Technology, P.O. Box 5500, FIN-02015 HUT, Finland

Abstract: The ageing of workforce, the lack of training programmes and recruitments, and the decline in R&D activities have prompted discussions about the need to preserve nuclear knowledge by transferring it from retiring experts to new recruits. Studies conducted in the nuclear and power industries have found that challenges lie especially in transferring tacit knowledge, which the experts have accumulated over the course of long careers and various experiences in professional settings. This paper examines methods by which tacit knowledge is transferred at the Finnish nuclear power plants. The aim of this paper is to provide empirical knowledge of the current state of practices for sharing tacit knowledge that could be utilised at NPPs more generally.

Keywords: tacit knowledge; methods; retirement; nuclear power plants; nuclear knowledge; knowledge management; knowledge sharing; Finland; knowledge transfer; knowledge preservation; knowledge retention.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNKM.2006.009617

International Journal of Nuclear Knowledge Management, 2006 Vol.2 No.1, pp.38 - 45

Published online: 02 May 2006 *

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