Global Survey on Organizational Tacit Knowledge Management

Dear friend,

Global Think-tank for Organizational Tacit Knowledge Management (GO-TKM), an international non-profit organization based in Brussels, Belgium, aims to promote the importance and application of organizational tacit knowledge management in society, improve the efficiency and effectiveness of human learning, and enhance the well-being of the society (www.GO-TKM.org). This think-tank has 108 global experts from 43 countries so far.

To get a clear picture of the current situation of organizational tacit knowledge management in the world, find out the excellent applications/practices worldwide, promote to raise awareness and strengthen organizational tacit knowledge management, save the tacit knowledge, explore its potential, communicate the best practices and working methods in organizations, develop the valuable untapped talent resources in organizations, improve the organizational effectiveness and productivity together with the social well-being!

Therefore, we launched the "Global Organizational Tacit Knowledge Management Survey" and will finally release the research results as a TKM global annual report to the public.

We will strictly follow the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for this survey.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute 10 minutes to complete the survey.

In appreciation of your support on this, you will be granted the right to download our survey report and a free online ticket (face value of €99.00) to attend our Global TKM Forum · Davos Forum on Nov 10-11, 2025.

If you have any questions or suggestions about the questionnaire, please:

E-mail: info@GO-TKM.org

Organized by:

GO-TKM, Global Think-Tank for Organizational Tacit Knowledge Management

MentoringCo

Behavior and Knowledge Engineering Research Centre (BAKE) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

The Student Career Development Center, Business School, Shenzhen Technology University

Part I: Organisation-related information

What's your first response when someone mentions "Tacit Knowledge"?【Multiple】

Knowledge is still in people’s heads.

Knowing what decision to make or how to do things depends on the context you are in.

“Sense of intuition,” the connections among thoughts that cannot be put into words or visuals that can convey that knowledge (understanding, meanings, etc.).

“Know-how,” the informal, hard-to-pin-down skills you’ve acquired through experience and practice.

“Muscle memory,” the embodied knowledge learned by mimicry and behavioral skill training.

Knowledge stored in memory that is not immediately aware but may be pulled up when triggered (associated).

Unclear/First time to know this.

Others (please specify).

To what extent do you agree with the following statements:

Anchors: 1 = Strongly disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neither agree nor disagree, 4 = Agree, 5= Strongly agree.

	1	2	3	4	5
① I often share with others my experience and know-how during meetings.
① I often share with others my experience and know-how during meetings.
② I always try to interact with others to provide solutions at work.
② I always try to interact with others to provide solutions at work.
③ I actively exchange ideas and thoughts with colleagues.
③ I actively exchange ideas and thoughts with colleagues.
④ I take the initiative to document my work-related knowledge. I actively exchange ideas and thoughts with colleagues.
④ I take the initiative to document my work-related knowledge. I actively exchange ideas and thoughts with colleagues.
⑤ After learning new skills useful to work, I often explain them to others and let more people learn them.
⑤ After learning new skills useful to work, I often explain them to others and let more people learn them.
⑥ I express my thoughts using examples in different ways when others cannot understand.
⑥ I express my thoughts using examples in different ways when others cannot understand.
⑦ I often reflect on the knowledge gained from others to improve my skills.
⑦ I often reflect on the knowledge gained from others to improve my skills.
⑧ I always try to integrate new things I’ve learned with my past experiences.
⑧ I always try to integrate new things I’ve learned with my past experiences.
⑨ I often apply newly learned knowledge to solve relevant problems at work.
⑨ I often apply newly learned knowledge to solve relevant problems at work.

What's your first response when someone mentions "Organisational Tacit Knowledge"?【Multiple】

Work know-how and skillsets owned by top performers within the organisation.

Job skills within the organisation that are difficult to be expressed in words, described in writing, or presented in other ways.

Work processes, methods, techniques or experiences that do not yet exist in written form within the organisation but are existed.

Intellectual property rights, such as patents and technologies that are unique to the organisation.

Organisation internal product formulas, production processes, procurement sources, customer information and other trade secrets that are not known to the outside world.

Productivity due to team synergy within the organisation.

Others (please specify).

Unclear / First time to know this.

Do you think senior executives in your organisation recognise the importance/value of tacit knowledge management?【Multiple】

Acknowledge it.

Pay great attention to it.

Take positive actions.

Don't know how to take the right actions to fix it.

Don't know where to get the right supports from outside.

Recognized and valued, but no action yet.

Not recognized yet.

Don’t know or not sure about this.

How would you best characterise the primary role of tacit knowledge management (TKM) within your organisations:【Multiple】

TKM is a core part of our organisation’s business strategy.

TKM supports certain business objectives but is not a core part of our business strategy.

TKM is used in our organisation, but the business objectives aren’t always clear.

We are aware of TKM but have not actually done anything about it.

Our organisation does not pay much attention to TKM.

Don’t know or not sure.

Please rank the importance of tacit knowledge that is critical for your organisation’s operations from 1 to 10 (1- extremely not important, 10 - extremely important)

Product development

Product support

Project management

Supply chain management

Operations management

Technology management

Vendor management

Quality Control

Process design

Process improvement

Process innovation

Sales & marketing

Services design

Internal services support ( Finance/IT/admin/legal/HR etc)

Compliance

Organisational memory/development

Strategic planning

Customer/client

Industry

Partnership

Others

10.

Has your organisation conducted any event/activity (e.g. seminar, workshop, training, deployment of a tool/methodology) on how to manage tacit knowledge? If yes, please elaborate.【Multiple】

11.

What method(s), if any, are being used in your organisation to harness, share/transfer tacit knowledge?

	Never	Planning to use	Already adopted
Knowledge Repository (e.g. best practices, case studies, other)
Knowledge Repository (e.g. best practices, case studies, other)
After Action Review
After Action Review
Lessons Learnt
Lessons Learnt
Brainstorming
Brainstorming
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Stories/Storytelling
Stories/Storytelling
Knowledge Café / World Cafe
Knowledge Café / World Cafe
Knowledge Maps / Mind Maps
Knowledge Maps / Mind Maps
Open Source Technology
Open Source Technology
Exit Interviews (standard, extended or specially designed)
Exit Interviews (standard, extended or specially designed)

	Never	Planning to use	Already adopted
Knowledge Communities (e.g. Cener of learning [CoI], Center for Proficiency [CoP], expert networks)
Knowledge Communities (e.g. Cener of learning [CoI], Center for Proficiency [CoP], expert networks)
Peer Assist
Peer Assist
Peer Learning Group
Peer Learning Group
Mentoring
Mentoring
Coaching
Coaching
Training
Training
Job Shadowing
Job Shadowing
Team Building
Team Building
Others (please specify)
Others (please specify)

13.

Imagine an ideal organisation that takes the full potential of tacit knowledge to improve performance, enhance effectiveness, engage talents across the organisation, and drive new and value-generating business.

Anchors: 1 = Not close at all, 2 = Close to a little extent, 3 = Close to a certain extent, 4 = Close, 5 = Very close

	1	2	3	4	5
① How close is your organization to that ideal?
① How close is your organization to that ideal?

14.

To what extent do you agree with the following statements:

1=Strongly disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neither agree nor disagree, 4 = Agree, 5= Strongly agree

	1	2	3	4	5
① Employees in our organisation usually come up with novel and valuable ideas.
① Employees in our organisation usually come up with novel and valuable ideas.
② Employees in our organisation are keen to voice their opinions and ideas in group discussions.
② Employees in our organisation are keen to voice their opinions and ideas in group discussions.
③ Employees in our organisation regularly find creative solutions for problem-solving.
③ Employees in our organisation regularly find creative solutions for problem-solving.
④ Employees in our organisation continuously learn from one another and are willing to pass useful and important knowledge to others (within and across different business units).
④ Employees in our organisation continuously learn from one another and are willing to pass useful and important knowledge to others (within and across different business units).
⑤ Our organisation incorporates much of its experiential knowledge in its processes and practices.
⑤ Our organisation incorporates much of its experiential knowledge in its processes and practices.
⑥ Our organisation’s culture and atmosphere are supportive of knowledge sharing.
⑥ Our organisation’s culture and atmosphere are supportive of knowledge sharing.
⑦ Our organisation actively involves employees in idea generation and the implementation of innovations.
⑦ Our organisation actively involves employees in idea generation and the implementation of innovations.

15.

In 2025, with regard to managing tacit knowledge, what do you think your organisation will do next ?

To increase its efforts in managing tacit knowledge.

To maintain existing efforts in managing tacit knowledge.

To reduce its efforts in managing tacit knowledge.

Refrain from spending any effort to manage tacit knowledge.

It is unclear whether my organisation will manage tacit knowledge.

Part II: Basic Information

Part III: Notice and Appreciation

28.

Finally, thank you for your valuable time completing this survey. The information you provide will be kept strictly confidential and will not be used for any commercial purpose.

We appreciate your strong support and will share our report with you if your valid e-mail is provided.

You will also be granted an Online Ticket free of charge to attend the "Global Tacit Knowledge Management Forum · Davos 2025" on Nov 10-11, 2025.

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Level of possibility
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