Towards Enabling Externalization of Tacit Knowledge Using Mobile Phone: the Case of Farmers Research Group in Ethiopia
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Date
2017-06-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore mechanisms of tacit knowledge externalization and factors impacting the process, to propose a conceptual framework and system architecture that support the development of mobile-based tacit knowledge externalization platform. A multi-methodological approach to IS research combining exploratory qualitative case study method and system development approach was followed to conduct the study. Data was collected through an in-depth semi-structured interviews and focus group discussion with 22 respondents, i.e., 14 multi-disciplinary agricultural researchers and extension agents and 8 farmers. Data was analyzed through thematic coding and thematic analysis which resulted in identifying unique patterns.
The finding of this study revealed that the dominant forms of tacit knowledge articulated include skill, experiences, expertise and rules-of-thumb from low degree of tacitness/abstraction; and judgments, insights, practical intelligence and indigenous knowledge from medium degree of tacitness/abstraction. The data didn‘t support taxonomies of tacit knowledge with high degree of abstraction. The study also revealed that metaphor, storytelling, dialogue, apprenticeship or mentoring, experimentation and evaluation, observation, learning by doing, lessons learnt, modeling technique, asking question, localization and on-farm demonstration were major mechanisms used for externalizing the stated taxonomies of tacit knowledge. As opposed to one-to-one relationship proposed by prior studies, our study revealed that one mechanism can be used to externalize tacit knowledge with different degrees of tacitness. The study further revealed that externalization process is influenced by level of cognitive competence, social capital, communication skill/method/media, group heterogeneity, motivational factors, degree of complexity, distance compounded with poor physical infrastructure and resource constraint. Finally, the conceptual artifacts derived in theory building were used as a basis for proposing a three tire system architecture for mobile based tacit knowledge externalization platform called mPlatform.
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Towards Enabling Externalization, Tacit Knowledge, Using Mobile Phone, Case of Farmers, Research Group in Ethiopia