Tacit Knowledge Management in Colombian SMEs

This paper aims to present the findings of the tacit knowledge generation, obtained from a research project carried out in small and medium-sized enterprises -SMEs, which are dedicated to industrial activities and services in Colombia. The research problem, which gives rise to this paper, is the difficulty to manage the employees' skills due to the management routine activities in these organizations. Evidence shows the necessity of designing a management system that transforms the organization into a knowledge management system, taking advantage of the employees' tacit knowledge at different levels of their performance. The methodology used in the study of the selected SMEs has a qualitative and descriptive approach. The data gathering and analysis techniques include surveys, in-depth interviews, focus groups and the analysis of the information by interdisciplinary groups. Particular attention is drawn to the use of a diagnostic instrument, named Integral System of Business Management -SIGE, developed by the authors. This instrument was used to make a diagnosis focused on the analysis of the management system, in order to observe the employees' tacit knowledge generation. The findings are compiled in four groups of variables associated, direct or indirectly, with the knowledge management, namely: 1) Training of the SMEs managers; 2) Initial diagnosis results; 3) Employees' participation in the SIGE implementation; 4) Effects of tacit knowledge after the SIGE implementation. These findings are useful since they allow the identification of new or hidden skills in SMEs employees. This is an incentive for these organizations to increase their skills, and to favour the tacit knowledge management until achieving people and business productivity integration. Conclusions indicate that the SIGE implementation favours the tacit knowledge management in the SMEs and facilitates its transformation into authentic knowledge management systems.