Tacit Knowledge Sharing among Library Colleagues: A Pilot Study

Burnette, Margaret H

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/103165 Copy

Description

Title

Tacit Knowledge Sharing among Library Colleagues: A Pilot Study

Author(s)

Burnette, Margaret H

Issue Date

2017

Keyword(s)

• tacit knowledge
• knowledge sharing
• libraries
• librarians

Abstract

• Purpose This study explores the nature of tacit knowledge sharing among library colleagues, with a focus on the characteristics of tacit knowledge and contextual factors such as organizational culture or the mentor/mentee relationship. • Design/methodology/approach Using a critical incident approach, participants self-selected based on pre-established criteria to report knowledge sharing incidents between colleagues at either an in-person or virtual reference desk. Subsequent semi-structured interviews were transcribed from recordings and coded for thematic elements. • Findings Three thematic areas emerged. First are the influence of organizational culture and the importance of trust on knowledge sharing behavior. Secondly, the value of teamwork and the significance of mentor/mentee roles surface as significant drivers of tacit knowledge exchange. Last but not least is a better understanding of the nature of tacit knowledge as it relates to types of knowledge and characterizations of experience and expertise. • Research limitations/implications The relatively small sample size nevertheless revealed some important findings that contribute to the understanding of the role of tacit knowledge sharing in libraries. • Originality/value The value of knowledge sharing in libraries is not well understood. This study demonstrates that value on several levels, including the influence of culture and trust, and the power of mentoring to harness tacit knowledge held by experts. The proposed Tacit Knowledge Alignment Framework contributes to the understanding of the nature of tacit knowledge in libraries. These findings begin to fill a research gap by furthering our understanding of tacit knowledge and informing future retention efforts that are lacking in many libraries.

Publisher

Emerald Insight

Type of Resource

text

Language

en

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/103165

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1108/RSR-11-2016-0082

Copyright and License Information

Author cannot archive publisher's version/PDF; author can archive post-print (final draft post-refereeing).

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