The transfer and transformation of tacit knowledge in new product development: A case study

Successful companies are characterized by their ability to consistently create "new knowledge," quickly disseminate it, and embody it into new products. Much of this new knowledge is derived from, and is an amalgamation of tacit knowledge residing in individuals' minds. For development of this new knowledge, tacit knowledge must be transferred and transformed from one individual to others. In typical new product development (NPD) settings this process occurs frequently within and between teams.; Tacit is described as that which is understood without being openly expressed. Since tacit knowledge resides in our minds and is personal and context specific, it is often difficult to articulate or transfer. Hence, one of the complexities in using tacit knowledge in NPD lies in the difficulty of transferring and transforming it among individuals and teams.; Research has shown that tacit knowledge is a valuable resource for product innovation. However more understanding is needed on how it may be transferred and transformed more effectively. The primary goal of this thesis is to explore the transfer and transformation of tacit knowledge primarily in the context of NPD, to gain insights on how this process may be more effectively carried out and, finally, to make overall recommendations on how tacit knowledge may be leveraged to improve NPD.; Several areas have been examined: the types of tacit knowledge relevant to NPD, their differential roles in the process, an examination of the processes that accomplish the transfer and transformation of tacit knowledge, the associated difficulties of these processes, and the factors and conditions that enable these processes. These areas were examined in three local high-tech companies engaged in NPD. Qualitative research techniques were used to conduct the analysis.; This research concludes with a knowledge management framework that can be used as a conceptual tool for understanding what critical tacit knowledge related processes need to be facilitated and supported to improve NPD.