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Tacit
Sinergy
Explicit
Figure 1. Knowledge model (designed by Skačkauskienė and Katinienė, 2015).
In scientific literature many researchers of knowledge, including Polanyi (1962), Nonaka,
Takeuchi (1997), Bradburn, Coakes (2005), Morkvėnas (2006) and Bivainis (2006), rely on two
types of knowledge distinguished by Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995):
explicit knowledge, i.e. documented knowledge (specialty, cultural, domestic, etc.).
One of the central factors in its management is information technology;
tacit knowledge, i.e. undocumented knowledge in an organisation (staff skills,
experience, talent, etc.).
Explicit knowledge is easy to manage, describe and present. It is also easy to disseminate.
Tacit knowledge, however, cannot be managed by conventional methods. Creating and
disseminating this type of knowledge requires creativity, innovation, understanding and
collectivism (Spender, Eden, 1998). Tacit knowledge is difficult to describe and copy (Table 1).
Table 1. Characteristics of knowledge (designed by the author based on Morkvėnas, 2010).
Explicit knowledge
Formally expressed
The holder is aware of it
Fixed
Systematised
Documented (education diploma,
certificates)
Protected storage (databases)
May be viewed or heard (in writing, audio
and video recordings, digitally)
Easy to disseminate
Practice-based
Tacit knowledge
Lies in the subconscious
The holder may be not aware of it
Hard to copy
Based on experience, reflexes
Undocumented
May be observed, but is intangible
Held inside and transferred by direct
communication
Difficult to disseminate
Creativity-based
Analysis of staff activities usually includes the terms of competence, qualification and
education. Unfortunately, they do not express the full content of knowledge, which is why
Bivainis and Morkvėnas (2008) suggest using a wider concept of knowledge potential. It
includes both explicit (education, culture) and tacit knowledge (skills, abilities, experience,
creativity). Knowledge potential consists of blocks of explicit and tacit knowledge (Figure 2).
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