a process framework to capture tacit knowledge using storytelling

1. A Process Framework to
Capture Tacit Knowledge
Using Storytelling
 Khairul Shafee Kalid and
Ahmad Kamil Mahmood
 Universiti Teknologi
PETRONAS, Malaysia,
 Done by : Abdullah Alhroub
 Submitted to : Dr. Ahmad Shraideh
Knowledge Management International Conference (KMICe)
2012, Johor Bahru, Malaysia, 4 – 6 July 2012 1

2. Presentation Outline
 Introduction
 Problem Statement
 Objective
 Related Work
 Research Method
 Findings – Knowledge Story
Construction Process Framework
 Discussion
 Limitation of Study
 Conclusion

3. Introduction
• One of the main challenges of KM is to capture tacit
knowledge (Linde, 2001)
• Tacit knowledge is defined as personal knowledge
embedded in individual experience.
• One of the way to capture and communicate tacit
knowledge is storytelling.
• Storytelling is defined as orally communicating ideas,
beliefs, personal experiences and lessons learned
(Groce, 2004)
• Stories provide a bridge between the tacit and explicit
(Gabriel, 2000)

4. Problem Statement

5. • Storytelling is a powerful mean to share
knowledge (Denning, 2000)
• Some of the challenges of storytelling are:
 Lack of understanding on what storytelling is and
how it can be used in the organization (Iofredda
and Angelo, 2008)
 The more-experienced might have difficulties in
transferring their tacit knowledge to less-experienced
colleagues (Awad and Ghaziri, 2010)
• Lack of emphasis on how knowledge story is
constructed.

6. Objective
• To understand the process of
constructing knowledge story.
• To identify the roles and phases involved
in constructing a knowledge story.
• To develop a process framework that
guides KM people to construct knowledge
stories.

7. Related Work
Source Application Construction
Santoro and Brezillon (2005) TellStory Context Framework
5W1H
Structured
Acosta et al (2004) StoryMapper Concept Maps
Each node represent events
Katzeff and Ware (2006) The Well Video record
Unstructured
Other related storytelling
literature from literary work
Main characters
Settings
Plot
Problem
Resolution

8. Research Method
• Exploratory approach
• Group semi-structured interview
 5 groups with 4-5 participants in each group
 Students in Knowledge Management classes

9. Research Methods
• Data are collected from the interview
sessions and the knowledge story
that has been written.
• The interview questions generally
revolves around their approach in
constructing the story.
• Interview sessions were transcribed
and analysed hermeneutically.
• Nvivo8 were used in organizing and
analysing the data.

10. Knowledge Story Construction
Process Framework
•Provides purpose of
knowledge story
•Identify knowledge
•Embed knowledge into story
the broad processes that help in discovering,
capturing, sharing and applying knowledge.
•Capturing
Knowledge
•Source
•The term “understanding” and
“familiarize” was used

11. Knowledge Articulation
• Preliminary discussions between participants involve
understanding the knowledge source
• They attempted to familiarize themselves with the subject of
the knowledge and to comprehend the content of the
knowledge source.

12. •List and organize of ideas and
events

13. Develop Story Sequence
The articulation of knowledge source yields a list of
• items,
• events or phases.
These lists are further organized which results in the flow
of the story, story components and structure.

14. •Manager
•Editor
•Colleagues
•Wrap knowledge into
narrative form.

15. Embed Knowledge
Knowledge is embedded in story in two ways.
• Firstly, knowledge can be wrapped in the form of lessons
learned in which the story includes undesirable settings or
events that the readers can learn from it.
• Secondly, stories provide knowledge with context
 The knowledge wrapper is responsible in identifying the
knowledge and ensures that the knowledge is embedded in the
story.
 a link that connects the purpose of the knowledge source to the
story.
 A knowledge story should have a purpose which needs to be
stated in the story

16. Review
• It is absolute necessary for a knowledge story to be
reviewed and edited to ensure that knowledge is embedded
in the story
• The editor checks the accuracy of the events,
grammatical errors and coherency of the story

17. Knowledge Story Structure
Knowledge Transfer Factors in an IT Organization
What should I write about Mr.Abdullah ? Well, I tell you a story
about Mr.Abdullah significant contribution in my eyes. I
remember Mr.Abdullah just came back from a knowledge
management course. When he got back, he introduced changes.
.
Mr.Abdullah spear headed the knowledge portal project. In this
portal, I am able to know who knows what in the department. I
know what are the expertise and the skills that each personnel has
in the IT department.
Overall, I think that Mr.abdullah, has done a lot in terms of
promoting knowledge transfer in the organization. Even though he
is retired, but his contributions will always be remembered.
•Knowledge Story Title
•Begin (Introduction)
Settings, context and
characters
Intent
Problems/Conflict.
•Begin (Introduction)
Settings, context and
characters
Intent
Problems/Conflict.
•Ending (Reflective)
Lessons learned
Solutions
Outcome

18. Discussion& results

19. Limitation of the Study
• The knowledge stories constructed are
written-based therefore the process
framework could be biased towards written
knowledge story.
• The participants of this study are students.
Thus the story is not really organizational
type.
• The type of knowledge that was
storytized' in this study are
experiential, declarative and
procedural.

20. Conclusion
• This process framework guides KM personnel
to construct stories that are used in the context
of KM.
• The findings of this exploratory study has
identified the roles and the phases.
 Knowledge articulation, Develop story
sequence, Embed knowledge and Review
 Knowledge owner, story constructor,
approver/editor, knowledge user