The Role of Tacit Knowledge in Influencing Leadership on Change Management

Monument T. B. Makhanya; Makhosazana Faith Vezi-Magigaba

doi:10.25159/2663-659X/13955

Authors

Monument T. B. Makhanya University of Zululand https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3501-1159
Makhosazana F. Vezi-Magigaba University of Zululand https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0614-7751

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-659X/13955

Keywords:

tacit knowledge, leadership, change management, social integration, structuring of change management, monitoring functions

Abstract

This paper explores the positive impacts of tacit knowledge in leadership on change management, focusing on organisational leaders and employees. The significance of tacit knowledge in influencing leadership on change management is critical since tacit information includes significant insights, experience and intuition that leaders possess. Using and exploiting this knowledge helps to improve decision-making, create successful change initiatives, and foster effective leadership during times of uncertainty and transformation. Regarding the influence of tacit knowledge on leadership in change management, there is a sizable knowledge vacuum. Although the value of tacit knowledge in a variety of organisational situations is becoming more well-recognised, little is known about how specifically it affects leadership during change management processes. This paper concludes that tacit knowledge in leadership provides insight into where theoretical models are and are not utilised. A successful change agent will make decisions based on intuition. Tacit knowledge is valuable, and leaders must find methods to use it while also developing systems for capturing and sharing it throughout the organisation, such as through storytelling, communities of practice, or mentorship programmes. This article has eight recommendations for organisations, businesses as well as leaders regarding tacit knowledge handling during the process of change. This article employed secondary sources as methodology, and the collected data were analysed using text content to extract relevant insights.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Abbas, Wasim, and Imran Asghar. 2010. “The Role of Leadership in Organizational Change: Relating the Successful Organizational Change with Visionary and Innovative Leadership.” Master’s dissertation in Industrial Engineering and Management.

Aflaki, Inga Narbutaité, and Magnus Lindh. 2023. “Empowering First-line Managers as Change Leaders towards Co-creation Culture: The Role of Facilitated Sensemaking.” Public Money and Management 43 (5): 502–511. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540962.2021.2007636. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09540962.2021.2007636

Bejestani, Hamid Shafaei. 2011. “Improving Project Change Management Using Leadership Spirit.” 3 (3). DOI:10.4236/ib.2011.33040. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/ib.2011.33040

Bolisani, Ettore, Constantin Bratianu, Ettore Bolisani, and Constantin Bratianu. 2018. “The Elusive Definition of Knowledge.” Emergent Knowledge Strategies: Strategic Thinking in Knowledge Management 4: 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60657-6_1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60657-6_1

Chuang, Chih-Hsun, Susan E. Jackson, and Yuan Jiang. 2013. “Can Knowledge-intensive Teamwork be Managed? Examining the Roles of HRM Systems, Leadership, and Tacit Knowledge.” Journal of Management 42 (2): 524–554. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206313478189. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206313478189

Chugh, Ritesh. 2018. “Tacit Knowledge Transfer in Australian Universities: Exploring the Barriers and Enablers.” MATEC Web of Conferences, 210, 04054. EDP Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201821004054. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201821004054

Chen, Zhen-Jiao, Robert M. Davison, Ji-Ye Mao, and Zhao-Hua Wang. 2018. “When and how Authoritarian Leadership and Leader Renqing Orientation Influence Tacit Knowledge Sharing Intentions.” Information and Management 55 (7): 840–849. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2018.03.011. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2018.03.011

Clutterbuck, David. 2020. Coaching the Team at Work 2: The Definitive Guide to Team Coaching. Nicholas Brealey.

Collins, Harry. 2010. Tacit and Explicit Knowledge. University of Chicago Press. https://doi.org/10.7208/9780226113821. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226113821.001.0001

Dalkir, Kimiz. 2017. Knowledge Management in Theory and Practice. MIT Press.

Djiffouet, Annel Ludovic Ketcha. 2019. “An Investigation into the Acquisition of Tacit Knowledge in e-Learning Environments: An Experimental Study.” University of Wales Trinity Saint David, United Kingdom.

Dunn, Susan L., Cynthia Arslanian-Engoren, Tracy DeKoekkoek, Rosemary Jadack, and Linda D. Scott. 2015. “Secondary Data Analysis as an Efficient and Effective Approach to Nursing Research.” Western Journal of Nursing Research 37 (10): 1295–1307. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193945915570042. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0193945915570042

El Jisr, Rana E. 2017. “The Impact of Tacit Knowledge and Effectuation on Innovation Performance in Firms.” In Social, Political and Economic Issues, edited by Esther Bassil Sleilati, 173. ISBN:978-1-53612-118-6.

Farnese, Maria Luisa, Barbara Barbieri, Antonio Chirumbolo, and Gerardo Patriotta. 2019. “Managing Knowledge in Organizations: A Nonaka’s SECI Model Operationalization.” Frontiers in Psychology 10: 2730. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02730. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02730

Ford, Jeffrey, Laurie Ford, and Beth Polin. 2021. “Leadership in the Implementation of Change: Functions, Sources, and Requisite Variety.” Journal of Change Management 21 (1): 87–119. https://doi.org/10.1080/14697017.2021.1861697. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14697017.2021.1861697

Gamble, Jordan R. 2020. “Tacit vs Explicit Knowledge as Antecedents for Organizational Change.” Journal of Organizational Change Management 33 (6): 1123–1141. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-04-2020-0121. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-04-2020-0121

Hadjimichael, Demetris, and Haridimos Tsoukas. 2019. “Toward a Better Understanding of Tacit Knowledge in Organizations: Taking Stock and Moving Forward.” Academy of Management Annals 13 (2): 672–703. https://doi.org/10.5465/annals.2017.0084. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5465/annals.2017.0084

Howells, Jeremy. 1996. “Tacit Knowledge.” Technology Analysis and Strategic Management 8 (2): 91–106. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537329608524237. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09537329608524237

Ibert, Oliver. 2007. “Towards a Geography of Knowledge Creation: The Ambivalences between ‘Knowledge as an Object’ and ‘Knowing in Practice’.” Regional Studies 41 (1): 103–114. https://doi.org/10.1080/00343400601120346. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00343400601120346

Korhonen, Mika. 2014. “Tacit Knowledge and Weak Signals in Organization Learning: Managing Knowledge to Create Sustainable Competitive Advantage Case Company Ltd.” Master’s dissertation, Turku University of Applied Sciences.

Kothari, Anita R., Julia J. Bickford, Nancy Edwards, Maureen J. Dobbins, and Mechthild Meyer. 2011. “Uncovering Tacit Knowledge: A Pilot Study to Broaden the Concept of Knowledge in Knowledge Translation.” BMC Health Services Research 11 (1): 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-11-198. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-11-198

Kotter, John P., and Dan S. Cohen. 2012. The Heart of Change: Real-life Stories of how People Change their Organizations. Harvard Business Press.

Kucharska, Wioleta and Kucharski, Maciej. 2023. “Technological vs. Non-technological Mindsets and Organizational Change Adaptability to Remote Work. Tacit Knowledge Implications for Leaders.” https://ssrn.com/abstract=4496585; http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4496585. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4496585

Lunenburg, Fred C. 2010. “Managing Change: The Role of the Change Agent.” International Journal of Management, Business, and Administration 13 (1): 1–6.

Matošková, Jana, Helena Řeháčková, EliškaSobotková, Martina Polčáková, Martin Jurásek, AlešGregar, and VlastimilŠvec. 2013. “Facilitating Leader Tacit Knowledge Acquisition.” Journal of Competitiveness 5 (1): 3–15. https://doi.org/10.7441/joc.2013.01.01. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7441/joc.2013.01.01

Mazhar, Syeda Ayeman, Rubi Anjum, Ammar Ibne Anwar, and Abdul Aziz Khan. 2021. “Methods of Data Collection: A Fundamental Tool of Research.” Journal of Integrated Community Health. ISSN 2319-9113 10 (1): 6–10. https://doi.org/10.24321/2319.9113.202101. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2319.9113.202101

McKnight, Leslie L. 2013. “Transformational Leadership in the Context of Punctuated Change.” Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics 10 (2): 103–112.

Mohajan, Haradhan. 2016. “Sharing of Tacit Knowledge in Organizations: A Review.” 3 (2): 6–19. https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/82958/.

Olaisen, Johan, and Oivind Revang. 2018. “Exploring the Performance of Tacit Knowledge: How to Make Ordinary People Deliver Extraordinary Results in Teams.” International Journal of Information Management 43: 295–304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2018.08.016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2018.08.016

Puusa, Anu, and Mari Eerikäinen. 2010. “Is Tacit Knowledge Really Tacit?” Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management 8 (3): 307–318. www.ejkm com.

Riwo-Abudho, Marcella, Lily Njanja, and Isaac Ochieng. 2012. “The Role of Strategic Leadership during Change.” KCA Journal of Business Management 4 (1): 48–61. eISSN:2071-2162, print ISSN:2072-7992.

Ruggiano, Nicole, and Tam E. Perry. 2017. “Conducting Secondary Analysis of Qualitative Data: Should we, Can we, and how?” Qualitative Social Work 18 (1): 81–97. https://doi.org/10.1177/1473325017700701. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1473325017700701

Seidler-de Alwis, Ragna, Evi Hartmann, and Hans Georg Gemünden. 2004. “The Role of Tacit Knowledge in Innovation Management.” In Competitive Paper submitted to the 20th Annual IMP Conference in Copenhagen.

Taylor, Teresa Z., Joseph Psotka, and Peter Legree. 2015. “Relationships among Applications of Tacit Knowledge and Transformational/Transactional Leader Styles: An Exploratory Comparison of the MLQ and TKML.” Leadership and Organization Development Journal 36 (2): 120–136. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-01-2013-0008. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-01-2013-0008

Thomas, Asha, and Vikas Gupta. 2022. “Tacit Knowledge in Organizations: Bibliometrics and a Framework-based Systematic Review of Antecedents, Outcomes, Theories, Methods and Future Directions.” Journal of Knowledge Management 26 (4): 1014–1041. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-01-2021-0026. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-01-2021-0026

Tripathy, Jaya Prasad. 2013. “Secondary Data Analysis: Ethical Issues and Challenges.” Iranian Journal of Public Health 42 (12): 1478. PMID: 26060652; PMCID: PMC4441947.

Seidler-de Alwis, Ragna, Evi Hartmann, and Hans Georg Gemünden. 2004. The Role of Tacit Knowledge in Innovation Management. In Competitive Paper submitted to the 20th Annual IMP Conference in Copenhagen.

Squires, Janet E., Alison M. Hutchinson, Mary Coughlin, Kainat Bashir, Janet Curran, Jeremy M. Grimshaw, Kristin Dorrance et al. 2022. “Stakeholder Perspectives of Attributes and Features of Context Relevant to Knowledge Translation in Health Settings: A Multi-country Analysis.” International Journal of Health Policy and Management 11 (8): 1373–1390. doi:10.34172/ijhpm.2021.32. Epub 2021 May 1. PMID: 4060269; PMCID: PMC9808341. DOI: https://doi.org/10.34172/ijhpm.2021.32

Vundla, Wendy Thembie. 2012. “The Impact of an Organisational Restructuring Exercise on the Wellness of Middle Managers in a Mining Company.” PhD thesis, University of Pretoria.

Whisnant, Billy, and Odai Khasawneh. 2014. “The Influence of Leadership and Trust on the Sharing of Tacit Knowledge: Exploring a Path Model.” Journal of Business Studies Quarterly 6 (2): 1–17. ISSN 2152-1034.