We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Sharing Tacit Knowledge in Organisations - A Challenge in Managing Young and Ageing Employees.
- Authors
Virtainlahti, Sanna; Moilanen, Raili
- Abstract
This article focuses on different aspects relating to recognising and sharing tacit knowledge. The theoretical part of the article introduces briefly the whole theoretical framework, to be followed by a more detailed discussion of each segment. The empirical data was gathered in four large organisations, where semi-structured interviews were conducted among young and ageing employees and supervisors as well as HR specialists. The interviews were tentative and considered as a first step towards the actual ethnographic research. Outcomes confirm that the competencies of young and ageing employees are different and their competencies are used differently in the organisations. For example, young employees have better IT skills and technical competencies. As regards ageing employees, experience emerged as their strength. Recognising and sharing tacit knowledge was the other focus of the study. Tacit knowledge was recognised mainly as an element in different kinds of processes. Employees, both young and ageing, suggested nearly the same procedures for sharing tacit knowledge. Working together was suggested as an important method of sharing tacit knowledge. The study is part of a larger project and, therefore, the data collected had to serve other aims as well. Sharing tacit knowledge will be one of the key issues to explore in the near future, and the forthcoming ethnographic studies will offer better possibilities to analyse the phenomenon more thoroughly. The study highlights the importance of sharing tacit knowledge especially between different age groups in order to prevent organisations losing core competencies.
- Subjects
TACIT knowledge; YOUNG workers; EMPLOYMENT of older people; CORE competencies; JOB skills
- Publication
EBS Review, 2005, Issue 20, p110
- ISSN
1406-0264
- Publication type
Article