Tacit knowledge - definitions and relation to EM
March 26, 2008 by Emily Ryan , LAUREN KERWAWYCZ and | Filed under: 1-The Impact of the Wal-Mart Sustainability Scorecard o
Hello Tacit Knowledge discussion group,
To familiarize myself with this topic, I reviewed the definition of “tacit knowledge” from wikipedia and here are some points that I though could help get the discussion going:
tacit knowledge = knowledge that people carry in their minds and is therefore hard to access; it provides context for data as well, such as people, places, ideas, and experiences
- People may not be aware of the knowledge they possess
- People may not be aware of its value to others
The process of transforming tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge (knowledge that is easy to communicate) is called “codification” or “articulation”.
Tacit knowledge is crucial to innovation development and could lead to unintended consequences if it is not included.
In environmental management, it seems that tacit knowledge would be a requirement of developing effective mitigation systems or processes. An outsider would need to become deeply involved in the work in order to gain that tacit knowledge without help from others.
I’m looking forward to working with you all,
- Emily
Hi Emily and Dea. Emily thank you for the overview of tacit knowledge.
I am now aware how crucial tacit knowledge is to an organization. It may be often overlooked, but it is extremely important. I would like to understand what environmental manager roles exist within organizations and what some common objectives typically are. Maybe other individuals within an organization can help craft processes or systems with the key environmental figures in an organization. How is tacit information commonly shared with environmentalists? I now see how different knowledge management and information management are.
Dea, can you provide any guidance as to what direction we should lead our discussions?
Lauren and Emily
The revised focus of our topic is on the impact of the Wal-Mart scorecard. The tacit knowledge exploration was shelved for the more timely issue of packaging and sustainability. To answer your question, Lauren, the discussion should focus on how an EM works within the supply chain to contribute to the successful resolution to reduction initiatives. No one in the supply chain (which truly runs from cradle to cradle (ideally)) works in a vacuum. It requires a well orchestrated partnership with all the players. How do you see your role? Who do you expect to work with? Suppliers to Wal-Mart total about 66,000. How many producers they represent has not been published. Probably a skajillion!!
I just returned from 3 days in Bentonville, AR at a Supplier Expo hosted by Wal-Mart and a value network meeting for packaging reduction. As soon as I compile my notes, I’ll share more with you. Let me know if you have any questions.