Organizational conditions associated with the sharing of tacit and explicit knowledge in the financial sector in Colombia

Knowledge sharing is the social interaction through which individuals
exchange their tacit and explicit knowledge with others. Tacit knowledge comes
from experience, talent, and reflection and is difficult to formalize, transfer, and
communicate to others. Conversely, explicit knowledge is formalized, codified,
and easier to transmit. The study focused on four organizational conditions
associated with knowledge sharing: culture, training, strategic clarity, and
information technology support. Although the relationship between
organizational conditions and knowledge sharing has been investigated, few
studies have examined whether organizational conditions impact tacit and
explicit knowledge sharing. In this research, 270 participants were surveyed,
belonging to companies in the financial sector in Colombia. It was found that
explicit knowledge had a significant positive relationship with strategic clarity,
organizational culture, training, and information technology support. Tacit
knowledge correlated significantly only with organizational culture and was
unrelated to strategic clarity, training, and information technology support.
Based on the results, a model that includes these four organizational conditions
is a good predictor of the two types of knowledge sharing: tacit and explicit.
Additional research on information technologies that facilitate the sharing of tacit
knowledge is recommended. Studies are also suggested on which strategy
elements can be considered tacit and the mechanisms to facilitate their successful
sharing.