Proceedings of the 12th European Conference on Knowledge ...

Knowledge Ontology in Labor Outsourcing Environments
Óscar Arias Londoño
Student <strong>of</strong> PhD in Administration, Universidad Eafit, Colombia
oariaslo@eafit.edu.co
Abstract: The purpose <strong>of</strong> this paper is to show progress on ontological aspects <strong>of</strong> tacit knowledge, found in
Colombia's textile companies where outsourcing occurs. It is a qualitative study based on four concepts that
are analized in a spiral: identity, autonomy, tacit knowledge and ontology; citing authors such as
Foucault, Kant, Nonaka-Takeuchi, and Bédard. Partial results show that changes in <strong>the</strong> tacit
knowledge occur when workers move from having a direct contract to be subcontracted; is also
observed that <strong>the</strong>se changes occur in parallel in <strong>the</strong> ontological dimension, identity and autonomy
<strong>of</strong> workers. The idea <strong>of</strong> focusing <strong>the</strong> analysis on <strong>the</strong> ontological dimension arises from <strong>the</strong> need for a
debate on a general presumption in <strong>the</strong> academic literature, where <strong>the</strong> new knowledge in companies
must be managed through strategically designed programs. This paper shows that tacit knowledge is
also a result <strong>of</strong> contingencies arising from decisions on contract workers. The value and usefulness <strong>of</strong>
<strong>the</strong> partial results for <strong>the</strong> future <strong>of</strong> this research is to provide criteria to broaden understanding <strong>of</strong> tacit
knowledge in textile companies, based on analysis <strong>of</strong> current policies <strong>of</strong> labor flexibility in today's
world.
Keywords: Ontology, tacit knowledge, identity, autonomy, labor outsourcing.
1. Problem’s context
The decline <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> big enterprises starts at <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> eighties; this fact comes along with <strong>the</strong>
surge <strong>of</strong> re engineering and outsourcing <strong>of</strong> industrial processes. In Colombia, <strong>the</strong> textile sector
subcontracts workers from cooperatives which had been created by employees who formerly
belonged to <strong>the</strong> textile companies; <strong>the</strong>se workers were sometimes obliged to create <strong>the</strong>se
cooperatives in order to avoid being dismissed.
There are two main reasons causing outsourcing in this sector: a) <strong>the</strong> separation <strong>of</strong> complementary
productive areas and, b) <strong>the</strong> removal <strong>of</strong> structural areas within organizations. Consequently, two
situations emerged: In one situation, <strong>the</strong> employees took over management <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> companies as an
alternative solution to bankruptcy or liquidation. In <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r one, determined <strong>the</strong> creation <strong>of</strong>
cooperatives derived from rationality <strong>of</strong> capital investment.
The current debate in <strong>the</strong> country is about <strong>the</strong> convenience <strong>of</strong> subcontracting cooperatives since, on
one hand, <strong>the</strong>ir contractual terms represent forms <strong>of</strong> labor exploitation and undermining and on <strong>the</strong>
o<strong>the</strong>r hand, <strong>the</strong>se contractual practices represent relevant economical benefits for exporting
companies and consequently, for <strong>the</strong> country. Based on <strong>the</strong> previous context, <strong>the</strong> problem <strong>of</strong> research
is: What are <strong>the</strong> ontological aspects <strong>of</strong> tacit knowledge emerging in <strong>the</strong> textile sector companies in
Colombia, which use labor outsourcing?
2. Theoretical references
The labor outsourcing environments in <strong>the</strong> textile sector in Colombia originated as a consequence <strong>of</strong>
<strong>the</strong> hiring companies’ managerial decisions, <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong> ethical aspects included in <strong>the</strong>se decisions
become important for this analysis since <strong>the</strong>y influence human behavior and consequently,
knowledge management. This leads to consider four aspects:
Employees’ behavior is reflected between conviction and / or convenience and <strong>the</strong>se can lead to
establish autonomy levels. Kant stated that autonomy is only possible if people express <strong>the</strong>ir will
to think and act freely; this represents morality’s main principle which supports every action
rational beings take; freedom, autonomy and morality’s main principle are closely linked concepts
(Kant, 1999: p. 42)
Behavioral manifestations represent actions which define employees’ identity since <strong>the</strong>se actions
lead <strong>the</strong>m to achieve a singular truth; and this one risks <strong>the</strong>ir own individuality (Foucault, 2006:
33).
Tacit knowledge can be identified if all aspects related to subcontracted employees (and <strong>the</strong>ir
contractual terms influencing <strong>the</strong>ir behavior) are studied. Nonaka and Takeuchi (1999: 65)
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