Hidden Currents: Social Network Dynamics and Tacit Knowledge Transfer in Organizations

Abstract

Tacit knowledge—information that resides within an individual or organization that has not been physically recorded—is the key to business continuity and retaining core knowledge during organizational change. Organizations have recognized its importance and implemented knowledge management strategies to ensure valuable knowledge is preserved.  While much academic research has been done into the nature of tacit knowledge, the role of social networks in maintaining tacit knowledge has been largely unexplored. Social networks, both formal and informal, serve as the invisible infrastructure through which tacit knowledge flows. The strength of interpersonal relationships, trust, and repeated interaction within these networks determines how knowledge is shared. Utilizing academic literature, the following paper seeks to link existing tacit knowledge theory with social network theory through theoretical analysis and literature review.