Knowledge Management Systems Support Tacit Knowledge

Knowledge management explores knowledge through two distinctive approaches: personal (tacit) knowledge and codified (explicit) knowledge. Knowledge management systems are software solutions using different IT to develop usable knowledge management applications. The role of IT in supporting explicit knowledge codification is well explored and advocated, while the role of IT in supporting tacit knowledge or even substituting it is not. An organization can develop a content knowledge management systems based on file management system or even Office or collaboration IT tools. Furthermore, data mining technology is suitable for knowledge discovery of valuable data patterns (e.g. customer behavior). E-mail or other collaboration IT tools supports knowledge sharing. Formulas in spreadsheet tools describe relations between variables, thus enabling business simulations as important business knowledge. But they are limited mainly to support explicit knowledge. The paper reviews literature and theories from a perspective of knowledge workers cognitive activities - how tacit knowledge can be supported or even substituted by knowledge management systems. The resulting review is suitable to guide knowledge workers and managers to distinguishing IT support for explicit or tacit knowledge, thus helping them to choose the appropriate IT approach to develop usable mixed explicit and tacit knowledge management solutions.