{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,23]],"date-time":"2026-04-23T04:43:40Z","timestamp":1776919420274,"version":"3.51.2"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2017,7,10]],"date-time":"2017-07-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1499644800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JKM"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2017,7,10]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Purpose<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>This paper interrogates the relationships between tacit knowledge (of professionals) and performance measurement regimes (of post-modern organizations). Drawing on Polanyi\u2019s (1958, 1968) ideas about tacit knowledge and Lyotard\u2019s (1984) theory of performativity with regard to criteria such as profit-performance the applicability and relevance of tacit, working knowledge in the internet age is assessed. The paper examines: the effects of context on knowledge management (KM); tacit knowledge and performativity around the production, validation and assessment of knowledge within organizations; KM and the mercantilization of knowledge and critical questions as to how performativity impacts tacit knowledge and KM in the digital era.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The paper deconstructs popular and fashionable narratives around tacit knowledge and KM to critically appraise approaches to knowledge construction and transfer in contemporary and commercial contexts. The study draws on various specific critical incidents in commercial practice to assess where (and why) things went wrong with KM practices in the aftermath of the global financial crisis and in more recent attempts at large scale corporate fraud.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Findings<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>KM should not trade exclusively in instrumentalized, performative knowledge. Tacit knowledge involves a sense of what is going on and this is not easily measured or codified. Experiential understanding of what is required when engaging with clients, colleagues, senior partners, other businesses (and cultures) and the political contexts in which employees work is central to tacit knowledge. So too are performance measures and reward systems and herein lies the \u201cuneasy dynamic\u201d. The nature of any transfer of tacit knowledge is problematic, but such employee know-how remains critical to organizational performance and validating the use-value of knowledge for the purposes of KM.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Researchers have used the theories of Polanyi and Lyotard, but rarely combined them to investigate KM practices critically in post-modern organizations. By using the two theories, this paper critically examines the contemporary construction of tacit knowledge from perspectives that include the different discourses and localized practices through which it is produced and consumed.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/jkm-02-2017-0058","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2017,6,8]],"date-time":"2017-06-08T09:07:02Z","timestamp":1496912822000},"page":"872-884","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":44,"title":["Knowledge management and professional experience: the uneasy dynamics between tacit knowledge and performativity in organizations"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"21","author":[{"given":"John","family":"Garrick","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Andrew","family":"Chan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref001","first-page":"15","article-title":"Working knowledge","volume-title":"Research and Knowledge at Work: Perspectives, Case-studies and Innovative Strategies","year":"2000"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref002","volume-title":"The Rise and Fall of the U.S Mortgage and Credit Markets; A Comprehensive Analysis of The Market Meltdown","year":"2009"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref003","unstructured":"Boatright, J. (2011), \u201cIntegrity and financial services\u201d, paper presented at European Business Ethics Network (EBEN) Research Conference, June 8-10, Dublin."},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref004","volume-title":"Sustainability and Organizational Change Management","year":"2016"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref005","volume-title":"Our Modern Times: The New Nature of Capitalism in the Information Age","year":"2003"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref006","volume-title":"Reflections on the Learning Sciences: Current Perspectives in Social and Behavioural Sciences","year":"2016"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref007","volume-title":"Archaeology of Knowledge","year":"1972"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref008","volume-title":"Informal Learning in the Workplace: Unmasking Human Resource Development","year":"1998"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref009","first-page":"245","article-title":"In pursuit of the intangible: The inherent difficulties of codifying informal learning","volume-title":"International Yearbook of Adult Education","year":"2005"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2020120622364145300_ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"143","DOI":"10.1504\/IJLIC.2006.010328","article-title":"Organizational knowledge and the effects of billable hours","volume":"3","year":"2006","journal-title":"International Journal of Learning and Intellectual Capital"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref011","volume-title":"Lacan, Language and Philosophy","year":"2008"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref012","volume-title":"The Theory of Communicative Action","year":"1987"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hotten, R. (2015), \u201cVolkswagen: The scandal explained\u201d, BBC News, 10 December, available at: www.bbc.com\/news\/business-34324772 (accessed 11 January 2017).","DOI":"10.1049\/et.2015.0705"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref014","first-page":"56","article-title":"Truth and contradiction: reading Hegel with Lacan","volume-title":"Lacan: The Silent Partners","year":"2006"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref015","volume-title":"Foreclosed: High-risk Lending, Deregulation and The Undermining of America\u2019s Mortgage Market","year":"2009"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref016","first-page":"318","article-title":"Unconditional surrender","volume-title":"New Cultural Studies: Adventures in Theory","year":"2006"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref017","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"151","DOI":"10.1057\/9780230314139_10","article-title":"Habermas and his communicative perspective","volume-title":"Humanistic Ethics in the Age of Globality","year":"2011"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref018","volume-title":"The Looting of America: How Wall Street\u2019s Game of Fantasy Finance Destroyed Our Jobs, Pensions and Prosperity and What We Can Do About It","year":"2009"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2020120622364145300_ref019","first-page":"349","article-title":"Institutional rationality and practice variation: new directions in the institutional analysis of practice","volume":"33","year":"2008","journal-title":"Accounting, Organizations and Society"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref020","volume-title":"The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge","year":"1984"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref023","unstructured":"McDonald, L.G. (2011), \u201cA colossal failure of common sense\u201d, available at: http:\/\/abookadaytillicanstay.wordpress.com\/2011\/02\/27\/152-a-colossal-failure-of-common-sense-by-lawrence-g-mcdonald\/ (accessed 10 January 2017)."},{"issue":"4","key":"key2020120622364145300_ref021","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"609","DOI":"10.5465\/amr.2014.0133","article-title":"Conceptualising historical organization studies","volume":"41","year":"2016","journal-title":"Academy of Management Review"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref022","volume-title":"Meltdown: The End of the Age of Greed","year":"2009"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref024","volume-title":"Chain of Blame: How Wall Street Caused the Mortgage and Credit Crisis","year":"2008"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref025","volume-title":"Effective Knowledge Work: Answers to the Management Challenge of the 21st Century","year":"2011"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref026","first-page":"272","article-title":"Conclusion: law, wealth and power in China","volume-title":"Law, Wealth and Power in China: Commercial Law Reforms in Context","year":"2011"},{"issue":"3","key":"key2020120622364145300_ref027","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"21","DOI":"10.1108\/14720700310483424","article-title":"Questions on the theme of global responsibility","volume":"3","year":"2003","journal-title":"Corporate Governance"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref028","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"24","DOI":"10.1057\/9780230524224_2","article-title":"An \u2018Anglo-American\u2019 model of CSR?","volume-title":"Stakeholder Theory: A European Perspective","year":"2005"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref029","unstructured":"Pils, E. (2016), \u201cRule of law reform and the rise of rule by fear in China\u201d, paper presented at Law, Authoritarianism and Democracy in Asia Symposium, National University of Singapore, 12-13 December, 2016, Singapore."},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref030","volume-title":"Plato, Letters","author":"Plato","year":"1966"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref031","volume-title":"Personal Knowledge: Towards a Post-Critical Philosophy","year":"1958"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref032","volume-title":"The Tacit Dimension","year":"1968"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref033","volume-title":"Objective Knowledge","year":"1975"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref034","volume-title":"Bailout Nation: How Greed and Easy Money Corrupted Wall Street and Shook the World Economy","year":"2009"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2020120622364145300_ref035","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"159","DOI":"10.1177\/1350507607087582","article-title":"Organizational learning and knowledge management: whence and whither?","volume":"39","year":"2008","journal-title":"Management Learning"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref036","first-page":"27","article-title":"Informal learning: genealogy, concepts, antagonisms and questions","volume-title":"International Yearbook of Adult Education","year":"2005"},{"issue":"5","key":"key2020120622364145300_ref037","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"627","DOI":"10.1177\/1350508409338435","article-title":"Between innovation and legitimation: boundaries and knowledge flow in management consultancy","volume":"16","year":"2009","journal-title":"Organization"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2020120622364145300_ref038","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"158","DOI":"10.1111\/ntwe.12049","article-title":"Knowledge management through the development of knowledge repositories: towards the degradation of work","volume":"30","year":"2015","journal-title":"New Technology, Work and Employment"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref039","unstructured":"Viskanta, T. (2016), \u201cSoros, fallibility, reflexivity and the importance of adapting\u201d, Enterprising Investor, CFA Institute, December, 2016, available at: https:\/\/blogs.cfainstitute.org\/investor\/2016\/12\/19\/soros-fallibility-reflexivity-and-the-importance-of-adapting\/ (accessed 15 March 2017)."},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref040","first-page":"59","article-title":"Group and organizational learning","volume-title":"Handbook of Adult and Continuing Education","year":"2010"},{"key":"key2020120622364145300_ref041","first-page":"59","article-title":"Reform directions for China\u2019s socialist market economy: a macroeconomic perspective","volume-title":"China\u2019s Socialist Rule of Law Reforms Under Xi Jinping","year":"2016"}],"container-title":["Journal of Knowledge Management"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/JKM-02-2017-0058\/full\/xml","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/JKM-02-2017-0058\/full\/html","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,24]],"date-time":"2025-07-24T22:25:32Z","timestamp":1753395932000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"http:\/\/www.emerald.com\/jkm\/article\/21\/4\/872-884\/260316"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2017,7,10]]},"references-count":41,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2017,7,10]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1108\/JKM-02-2017-0058"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1108\/jkm-02-2017-0058","relation":{},"ISSN":["1367-3270"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1367-3270","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2017,7,10]]}}}