Date of Conferral
2020
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Management
Advisor
Craig Barton
Abstract
Engineering consulting organizations are knowledge-intensive firms characterized by highly technical personnel. The problem was that the leaders of engineering organizations have not eliminated loss of tacit knowledge transfer among employees. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to gain an understanding of how engineering consulting organization leaders facilitate the transfer of tacit knowledge among employees. The conceptual framework was the socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization model developed by Nonaka and Takeuchi and Burns’ transformational leadership theory. A qualitative multiple case study design was used by employing multiple sources of information including semi-structured interviews, field notes, and review of organizational documents. The unit of analysis was leaders in an engineering consulting organization. The data analysis processes involved coding of the data, categorizing the coded data, and subsequently generating themes in line with the research question using NVivo Version 12 software. Findings indicated that leaders facilitated the transfer of tacit knowledge through the creation of a safe environment for employees and through on-the-job development. The opportunity to facilitate the transfer of tacit knowledge among employees in engineering consulting organizations enhances growth among employees. The outcome could contribute to social change through improved professionalism and expertise of employees.
Recommended Citation
Egbedoyin, Funminiyi Sunday, "Tacit Knowledge Transfer at Engineering Consulting Organizations" (2020). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 8703.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/8703
