Research on tacit knowledge integration: a synthesis of social ties and TMS

Tacit knowledge integration which has been receiving more and more attention in the management literature is embedded in societal activities and interactions. Social networks (SN), as the prior channel of knowledge search and transmission has been applied broadly in knowledge management. With the tendency of increasing interest in knowledge management, few literatures study the effect of SN on tacit knowledge integration from the perspective of transactive memory systems (TMS). To fill this gap, this research focuses on the relation dimension of SN and investigates how different features of social ties affect tacit knowledge integration from the perspective of TMS. As a complement to previous research that has only emphasized the effect of one aspect (either SN or TMS) on tacit knowledge integration, we construct a theoretical model by combining SN and TMS theories. Within this theory framework, the unique case - tacit knowledge integration of ABC Co. Ltd. is presented as an example model of application. This study has instructional and explanatory power for both academia and practice. Knowledge Management Research & Practice (2011) 9, 256-262.