The coming of age for the knowledge economy: Knowledge in collectives of experts

Abstract

Contemporary organizations increasing rely on collectives of experts to develop unique knowledge for their dynamic capabilities. The ability of organizations to cultivate, refine, transfer and sustain key knowledge is now critical to competitive advantage in rapidly changing industries and global markets. Yet, while formal and systematic frameworks of explicit knowledge management abound, the social mechanisms that support knowledge cultivation and sustainability that are key to the cultivation, transfer, and leverage of knowledge in collective experts remain largely unexplained. This paper offers a unique look at this ‘black box’ by considering these collectives of experts as dynamic social entities juxtapositioned within the operational confines of organizational agendas. By investigating the relational dynamics of knowledge development in collectives of experts, we reveal a fundamental interplay between three spheres of tacit knowledge in the process of expert knowledge development and refinement.