Sharing Tacit Knowledge: A Case Study in the Australian Film Industry

Tacit Knowledge
“Explicit” or codified knowledge refers to knowledge that is transmittable in formal, systematic language. On the other hand, “tacit” knowledge has a personal quality, which makes it hard to formalize and communicate. Tacit knowledge is deeply rooted in action, commitment, and involvement in a specific context (Nonaka, 1994, p. 16)

Irit Alony and Greg Whymark, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Australia and Michael Jones, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia Informing Science Journal Volume 10, 2007

Abstract:

This paper explores tacit knowledge sharing. This case demonstrates the significance of knowledge sharing to organizational performance, by exploring the contribution of tacit knowledge sharing to the success of projects in the Australian Film Industry (AFI). The differences between knowledge sharing, collaboration and communication, and their interrelations are addressed. We also explore the concepts of knowledge, information, and data. In the interchanges reported here the knowledge shared is almost entirely tacit, and the “raw” data and information do not exist without the context that makes them knowledge. The paper includes the identification of many factors affecting knowledge sharing, not all of which have been identified by previous researchers.

This research contributes to a better understanding of tacit knowledge and how that knowledge is shared. This in turn contributes to a better understanding of how knowledge management can be supported in a modern organization, where often the technology is used in ways not well understood by system managers and software developers. A better understanding can lead to better ICT design and support of knowledge sharing both within and across organizations.

Keywords: Knowledge Sharing, Film Industry, Tacit Knowledge, Qualitative, Collaboration.
See also on the same shelf:

KM & E-Social Science - Revisited

Knowledge Creation, Knowledge Sharing, application of Knolwedge Management (outside the corporate work culture) in the social and cultural lives of the Netizens is the focus:

4th International Conference on e-Social Science

philbu's blog: Report on the CRASSH Workshop “Subversion ...

CRASSH Workshop “Subversion, Conversion, Development: Public Interests in Technologies” Cambridge, 24-26 April prepared by Philipp Budka

Public & Private in the Blogosphere

See also on the same shelf and aisle:

• Knowledge Management: Society / Community Wise
• Knowledge production in a profession: Use-inspired...
• Body-Mind-Soul - KM initiatives
• Tacit and Oral knowledge @ FaithCommons Forum

Info courtesy: Professor Neelameghan and Ann the Librarian

Research isn’t a Google search

Says, Kathy Lee Berggren (a professor at Cornell University, teaches oral communication with a “heavy research component") in Research Methods ‘Beyond Google’

Burnt Out Adjunct has interesting reflection on this beyond the domain of Google, titled: “Google is not research.”:

"I would counsel against the fallacy of the lazy student. They seem, on the whole, eager to bridge the expectation divide (they expect open, accessible information). They do not expect to have to navigate the Byzantine fiefdoms of disciplined research. Naive and perhaps idealistic? Yes. But really, should research be as hard as it is?
Consider that you are not affiliated with a university/college. How do you go about finding the research/articles/data you need? Same set of steps confound the Freshman. The databases are not intuitive or well advertised? And why aren’t they all aggregated anyway? Why is it easier to order a pizza than to find a set of vetted articles on a given subject? And then we blame the student for not being able to navigate the labyrinth to find the gems?" Listen

RESEARCH: You go to the library and look in a biographical dictionary. Or you call up Google.com and then sort through the 410000+ references to him. ... The Craft of Research, Third Edition...

See on the same shelf:

• Making by Stealing of Un-cited (Recycled) in the Wiki Age: Role of Librarians?
• Who's tracking your health? Paging Dr. Internet
• Nine Free Apps Every Writer Should Consider
• "Is Google Making Us Stupid?"

Tacit and Oral knowledge @ FaithCommons Forum

Fund an article* on social innovation in a Website that is (by my perception) on issues that are common by faiths, in a Multifaith perspective.

As a comment on the article I initiated a thread on the relation between tools and strategies of Knowledge Management (with special focus on tacit, tangible and cultural knowledge) within the context of corporate communications.

See the discussion at:

* Three scenario’s for social innovation Feed: P2P Foundation

What is this article in relation to the FaithCommons? by Mohamed Taher

Knowledge Management, by bill

Tacit and Oral knowledge, by Mohamed Taher

Mistaking Information as Knowledge, by bill

What Is Born of the Spirit is Spirit, by reido

NB. A bonus post I found, and wish to share with you:

Thinking Without Language, by Dave Pollard @ How to Save the World

My previous posts:

Vertical and tacit: Multifaith and Knowledge Management in Perspective

What do you think? Any comments, suggestions?

Literature Survey - Trends and Prospects

Senior legal librarians (SLLs) are increasing in importance at their firms as the new knowledge management technologies they govern become more crucial to delivering top-quality legal services. According to recent research by Sweet & Maxwell among the top 100 UK law firms, more than 20% of SLLs now either report directly to the managing partner or chief executive officer, or sit on the most senior management board of their firms.
Knowledge management is now at the very core of many firms, and because of this, SLLs are increasingly important. The old perception of legal librarians working away in small, dusty libraries, searching through volumes of legal texts is completely divorced from reality. Continue reading: From librarian to knowledge manager /The Lawyer. London: Oct 4, 2004. pg. 29

This blogosphere, then, tends to provide a reflection for a knowledge manager or one who is managing knowledge

Holistically speaking there is a strong link between the following: record management, information mangement, library management and knowledge management. More about this link will follow in another post.

Much dig is already done by two Mary's, (co-incidence: Mary is a Latinized version of the Arabic name Miriam, etymologists may argue, however) information professionals--And, Save the time of the knowledge mangers:
A bibliography:

knowledge management and librarianship resources: Almost all resources about KM and LIS, Maryam
A literature capsule:

to remember, Mary
and From Librarian to Knowledge Manager and Beyond:/By Doug Church ...

A few more sources on role & / or place of Librarians as Knowledge Managers:

The Road to Collaboration: Librarian as Knowledge Manager, Melinda Orebaugh, The Health Science Librarians of Illinois, 2004 Annual Conference.
This paper will provide a brief overview of knowledge management, outline skills required for librarians wishing to accept knowledge management responsibilities, and describe the author’s personal experiences and responsibilities as director of corporate knowledge at Gundersen Lutheran Health System.

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
Tools of Knowledge Management consists 70% of services and 30% of Technologies. Librarians provide these 70% services. This indicates the role of Librarians as Knowledge Manager / Knowledge Sharing facilitator

LIS Professionals can play the role in KM process @ knowledge Management Resources, by ROHIT SAHU

Evolution of Librarian to Knowledge Manager in Academic Institutions

Knowledge Management Opportunities for Academic Librarians Jane O'Donnell

Ling Ling Lai: “Educating knowledge professionals in LIBRARY and information science schools”. In: Journal OF Educational Media and LIBRARY Sciences 42 (2005) 3, P. 347 - 362

Information and Knowledge Management: What Technical Communication Can Learn From Library Science,

Knowledge Management and the Information Professional in KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT:
THE BIBLIOGRAPHY, Revised and expanded version by Paul R. Burden

Karen Letarte/Michelle Turvey: “Cataloging or Knowledge management: Perspectives OF LIBRARY Educators on Cataloging Education for entry level Academic Librarians”. In: Cataloging & Classification Quarterly 34 (2002) 1+2, P. 163 - 185

Knowledge Management in Academic Libraries: Building the Knowledge Bank at the Ohio State University, Joseph J. Branin

Ross J. Todd / Gray Southon: "Educating for a knowledge management future: perceptions of library and information professionals". In: Australian Library Journal 50 (2001) 4, S. 313 - 326 [full text / html]

Librarians are the ultimate knowledge managers?, Cathie Koina

Google for much more

Welch, Jeanie M. “Hey! What About Us?! Changing Roles of Subject Specialists and Reference Librarians in the Age of Electronic Resources.” Serials Review 28 (2002): p. 283-286.

Whitlatch, Jo Bell. "Reference Futures: outsourcing, the web, or knowledge counseling." Future of Reference Services Papers. 2002. American Library Association. 19 April 2005.

Knowledge management and reference services, Smiti Gandhi, Senior Research Librarian The Journal of Academic Librarianship, Volume 30, Issue 5 , September 2004, Pages 368-381

Hwa-Wei Lee, Knowledge Management and the Role of Libraries Chinese Librarianship: an International Electronic Journal, Issue No. 19
(June 1, 2005)

Michele Ann Jenkins (Majink). Librarians and Knowledge Management.

Kashmiri Lal. IN QUEST OF THE INFORMATION SECTOR: MEASURING
INFORMATION WORKERS FOR INDIA Malaysian Journal of Library & Information Science [pdf full-text]

Maitrayee Ghosh & Ashok Jambekar Networks, Digital Libraries and Knowledge Management: Trends ... [Tables & Figures: Components of a library KM system, Knowledge Management Technologies, Intranets and Extranets in KM, Architecture of a library KM system, Potential upsides and possible limitations of KM technology-- Adapted from Donald J. Reifer. IEEE Software, 2002, May/June 2002, 15.] DESIDOC Bulletin of Inf Technol, 2003, 23(5)

Maryam Sarrafzadeh The implications of knowledge management for the library and information professions

PUNCHLINE:
To sum up,three major roles are waiting for librarians to assume withthe coming of the new millennium: global informationprovider, educator and trainer, knowledge manager...

Knowledge manager
The shift from distributing information to managingknowledge is becoming an independent production factor next to labor, capital and natural resources. Knowledge isevolving into intellectual assets on which businessorganizations around the world are dependent for theirsurvival [Bonaventura, 1997].

Library managers: knowledge coordinator ...
Librarians: knowledge creator...

Continue reading The expanding roles of librarians for the new millennium, by Jinhong Tang, IASSIST Quarterly, Spring 1998

From my desktop:
Book Reviews:

Michael E. D. Koenig and T. Kanti Srikantaiah, Editors. Knowledge Management Lessons Learned: What Works and What Doesn't. Information Today, 2004. International Journal of Information Management, 25 (2005) 281-283

Chun Wei Choo, et al. Web Work: Information Seeking and Knowledge Work on the World Wide Web. Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2000. Information Resources Management Journal, 16, 2003, 62-64.

Ali Mirsepassi and others, editors. Localizing Knowledge in a Globalizing World: Recasting the Area Studies Debate Syracuse Univ. Press, 2003.MELA Notes 78 (2005): 71-74

A New e-journal: KnowGenesis

Articles, essays, etc.:

Nexus between Knowledge Management and Library Science

"Save the Time of the Godly: Information Mediators Role in Promoting Spiritual &Religious Accommodation," in Knowledge Organization, Information Systems and other Essays. K.N. Prasad and K.S. Raghavan (eds.) Professor A. Neelameghan Festschrift. New Delhi, Ess Ess Publications, 2006.

Vertical and tacit: Multifaith and Knowledge Management in Perspective

Knowledge Management Applications in Multifaith & / or Multicultural Transactions Revisited

http://kmlisc.blogspot.com/2007/01/tacit-and-oral-knowledge-faithcommons.html