Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemCultivating knowledge sharing: an exploration of tacit organizational knowledge in Singapore( 2005)This thesis sought to understand the phenomenon of knowledge sharing embedded in human resource management practices with emphasis on aspects of Singaporean-Chinese culture. Based on a small-scale survey, this exploratory study revealed that tacit knowledge sharing was more widespread in Singapore-based American and European organizations than in Asian organizations located in Singapore. Medium-sized, Singapore-based, European organizations operating in the communications and information technology sector were the most intense in knowledge sharing while small-sized Asian companies in Singapore were the least intense in sharing what they know. Human resource leaders from participating organizations perceived competence diversity, mutual trust, and team spirit as crucial factors in cultivating a knowledge sharing culture. The findings revealed that informal discussions on work related matters, team reviews, and performance appraisal conversations that focused primarily on competence development were human resource management priorities that cultivated knowledge sharing. In addition, conversations with selected human resource leaders suggested that a more effective approach to tacit knowledge sharing is to move people with the relevant knowledge into diverse assignments and to different geographical locations such that the organization as a whole may benefit from the mobility of these expertises. As a result of this small-scale exploratory research, it was suggested that tacit knowledge sharing embedded in human resource management practices requires a broader and deeper understanding of the manner in which we represent what we know. Such understanding includes consideration of the specific cultural values that underpin the organizations researched. In the present case, these were Singaporean-Chinese values rooted in Confucian virtues in a climate of fear. A tacit understanding of the notions of kiasu (the fear of losing out to others) and guanxi (social relationships) are imperative for facilitating knowledge sharing in diverse Asian communities with a predominantly overseas Chinese population. For tacit knowledge sharing to be cultivated, it is important to understand more fully the corporate culture in an organization, the ethnic virtues of the employees, their national identities and the environment in which they lived