Eliciting and mapping tacit knowledge on teamwork success of Six Sigma teams

Abstract

This study aims to elicit and map tacit knowledge on teamwork success as a lens to examine variations in team performance. A new approach based on narrative simulations and the traditional similarity ratings were adopted with Six Sigma teams in an international manufacturing company. Convergence in the knowledge maps among team members and that between teams and the management of the company have been examined. Both approaches revealed differences in high performance teams and average teams. The narrative simulations elicited richer knowledge, provided a second layer with contexts to a better understanding of team knowledge, and generated more actionable suggestions for team development. Misconceptions in some Six Sigma teams were also identified, which provide insights for team training and development. The study demonstrates the application of narratives and sensemaking theories to the elicitation of team knowledge in rich contexts and multiple layers.

Expanding the current tacit/explicit knowledge dichotomy encompassing situated and theoretical/normative knowledge: a phenomenological perspective

“…The first layer has the purpose of map and gathering documents under a high level of abstraction (e.g. Hider, 2016; Zou and Lee, 2016). This layer will be called the layer of classification and mapping mentefacts.…”

From soft to hard elicitation

“…Questionnaires are often used, though more carefully evaluated information may be gained from more structured processes such as the Delphi Method (Dalkey & Helmer, 1963;Linstone & Turoff, 2011;Rowe & Wright, 1999). Aspects of tacit knowledge elicitation are discussed by Chervinskaya and Wasserman (2000), Ford and Sterman (1998), Friedrich and Van Der Poll (2007) and Zou and Lee (2016).…”