An Information Systems-Supported Strategy for Managing Tacit Knowledge in Organisations

Abstract

Tacit knowledge represents one of the most strategically significant yet poorly managed resources in knowledge-intensive organisations. Existing research has documented the limits of codification-oriented approaches and the persistence of tacit knowledge problems, but the field lacks an integrated, practice-oriented strategy that connects detection, description, and safeguarding of tacit knowledge into one operational framework supported by information systems. This paper addresses that gap. Drawing on eight semi-structured interviews with senior professionals in knowledge-intensive consulting roles, analysed through qualitative content analysis with abductive logic, the study identifies recurring problems across three core functions: detecting where critical expertise resides; describing tacit and experience-based knowledge in forms that others can understand and reuse; and safeguarding such knowledge when projects end or personnel change. The findings show that organisations do not primarily fail because of missing documentation. The central challenges concern the limited visibility of expertise, the difficulty of making experience-based knowledge communicable without losing its practical meaning, and the fragility of knowledge retention when it is tied to individuals rather than stable organisational structures. Information systems and artificial intelligence can support all three functions, but only when they are aligned with actual work practices and backed by clear governance and ownership. Based on these findings, and grounded in the Knowledge-Based View, Organisational Learning Theory, Sociotechnical Systems Theory, and a Practice-Based Perspective, the study develops a lightweight, information systems-supported knowledge management strategy organised around three conceptual building blocks: Knowledge Hubs, Knowledge Capsules, and workflow-based safeguarding mechanisms, all supported by an enabling digital, governance and motivation layer. The strategy does not aim for complete codification of tacit knowledge but rather for practical and structured support for its detection, description, and safeguarding in everyday organisational work. The paper contributes both an empirically grounded analytical framework and an operationalisable strategy for knowledge-intensive organisations.