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Hidden Wisdom: Do You Know What Tacit Knowledge Is?
In society, knowledge is a resource. Especially in today's rapidly changing environment, the form and transformation of knowledge become increasingly important. However, the acquisition of knowledge is not limited to textbooks or lectures, it also includes a kind of knowledge that is difficult to express verbally - this is called tacit knowledge. Tacit knowledge usually refers to knowledge and skills that are difficult to describe in words or text, and they play an indispensable role in daily life and work. So, is this hidden wisdom really everywhere?
The origins of tacit knowledge
The concept of tacit knowledge originated from the works of Michael Polanyi, especially in his 1958 book Personal Knowledge, which mentioned that human knowledge can be expressed not only in words, but also in . Polanyi pointed out that "we know more than we can tell others", a theory that has influenced not only the philosophy of science but also various fields such as education and knowledge management.Tacit knowledge can be defined as the skills, ideas and experiences that people have but which are not codified and not necessarily easy to express.
Characteristics of tacit knowledge
The acquisition of tacit knowledge usually requires long-term contact and trust building, so this kind of knowledge is often transmitted through practice and social networks. When people carry out professional activities in a specific environment, tacit knowledge is unconsciously hidden in their behavior and intuition.
The effective transmission of tacit knowledge often relies on personal experience and social interaction; for example, learning between an apprentice and a mentor takes place through observation and imitation, not just through language.
Types of tacit knowledge
According to different contexts, tacit knowledge can be divided into several types:
- Relational tacit knowledge: This is knowledge that can be expressed in an explicit way but for some underlying reason is not elaborated.
- Bodily tacit knowledge: involves the human body’s abilities, such as riding a bicycle, which cannot be fully expressed in words.
- Collective tacit knowledge: This type of knowledge belongs to the social level, such as language rules, which is difficult to express clearly or imagine the specific way of expression.
The difference between tacit knowledge and explicit knowledgeTacit knowledge can be seen as the difference between "knowing how to do" and "knowing how to know". For experts, their behavior comes naturally and does not require full reflection on the principles on which it is based.
While it is possible to distinguish between explicit and tacit knowledge to a certain extent, in reality, the two are intertwined. For example, explicit knowledge, like a set of grammatical rules, cannot fully cover the flexibility of language usage. In contrast, tacit knowledge is intuitive and subjective, and often requires face-to-face contact to communicate.
Nonaka–Takeuchi Model
Ikujiro Nonaka proposed a model of knowledge creation that explains how tacit knowledge is transformed into explicit knowledge. The model is valued for its diversity and emphasizes the interactive relationship between tacit and explicit knowledge.
This model includes four modes of knowledge transformation: from tacit knowledge to tacit knowledge (socialization), from tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge (externalization), from explicit knowledge to explicit knowledge (combination), and from implicit knowledge to explicit knowledge (combination). Explicit knowledge to tacit knowledge (internalization).
More Examples
Many everyday skills, such as riding a bicycle, playing the piano, or driving, exhibit characteristics of tacit knowledge. These behaviors cannot be fully expressed in words. Another familiar example is facial recognition, where many people can recognize faces but cannot accurately describe the process. Even in some important technical fields, the communication of tacit knowledge shows its great importance. For example, the difficulty in repeating scientific experiments often stems from the tacit part of knowledge.
During the COVID-19 epidemic, remote work has affected the transfer of tacit knowledge, which in turn has affected the diversity of workers' output. Does this once again confirm the key role of tacit knowledge in work?
