The role of organisational factors in combating tacit knowledge loss in organisations

Abstract

Knowledge loss poses a challenge to organisations that wish to remain competitive. The meaning of knowledge that exists in the minds of people and its manifestation in organisations is examined to provide a framework for the investigation of organisational human input factors and strategic risks of knowledge loss. A theoretical model was developed that identifies factors that would enhance knowledge retention, namely the identification of whose knowledge and what type of knowledge is at risk of loss; the manifestation of knowledge behaviours (learning, knowing, creating, sharing, transferring and applying knowledge); behavioural enhancers at the individual, group and organisational levels; and the identification of strategic risks of knowledge loss. Implementing a knowledge retention strategy taking these organisational factors into account would enhance knowledge retention.