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
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1.
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).
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2.
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.
12345
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.
*
3.
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.
*
4.
What is the current status in your organisation when it comes to critical tacit knowledge?【Multiple】
KM method(s) applied to manage tacit knowledge.
Critical knowledge has been identified, but no action has been taken so far.
Not sure how to identify critical knowledge.
Planning to identify critical knowledge.
No, nothing so far.
Other (please specify__).
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5.
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.
*
6.
Does your organisation have a role dedicated to knowledge management (tacit knowledge management)?
Yes (If yes, please fill in the job title of this role).
No.
Not sure.
*
7.
What's the reporting line of this dedicated tacit knowledge management role in your organisation? 【Multiple】
CEO
HR VP/Director
Learning and Development Head
Functional Department Head
Others (please specify__)
*
8.
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.
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9.
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】
Seminar
Workshop
Training courses
Mentoring program
Develop/Adopt a new knowledge management methodology
Develop/Deploy a new knowledge management tool/system
Launch a new knowledge management program
None of the above
Others (please specify)
*
11.
What method(s), if any, are being used in your organisation to harness, share/transfer tacit knowledge? 
NeverPlanning to useAlready 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)
NeverPlanning to useAlready 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)
*
12.
What are the challenges in handling tacit knowledge in your organisation? (Choose as many as you like)【Multiple】
Difficult to identify
Context-dependent therefore highly volatile
No format/language for representing/storing/expressing tacit knowledge
“Don’t know what we know” (i.e. the “knowing-doing gap”)
Once codified, it is not tacit anymore
No way of measuring/gauging usefulness, relevancy and accuracy
Lack of tools for handling tacit knowledge
Lack of skills in tackling this problem
Reluctance to share tacit knowledge
Lack of trust
Tacit knowledge may depreciate in value rapidly
Can be highly subjective
Lack of strategic planning and support
Lack of support from the senior executives
Our organizational culture does not support.
Lack of professional tacit knowledge experts to support
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
12345
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
12345
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.
*
16.
What drives the need for tacit knowledge management in your organisation?
Request from the headquarters.
Request from shareholders/investors.
Request from the senior management team.
Self-initiated by each team lead.
Performance-driven ( high pressure on performance improvement/ cost reduction/ efficiency etc.).
No such need yet.
Others (please specify).
*
17.
Would your organisation consider bringing in external tacit knowledge management consultants to support internal development?
Anchors: 1 = Not likely at all, 2 = A little likely,  3 = likely, 4 = Very likely, 5 Certainly
12345
Level of possibility
Level of possibility
Part II: Basic Information
*
18.
Country or region where you are currently based:
*
19.
Your age range :
*
20.
Your highest degree of education : 
*
21.
Your years of working experience :
*
22.
What is your primary functional affiliation in your organisation?
General management
Information technology
Operations (including administrative support/Logistic etc)
Marketing
Sales/ Business development
Customer service
Supply chain operations management
Research & Development / Innovation
Product development
Finance/audit/legal etc
Human resources
Corporate communications
Risk management
Others, please specify:______
*
23.
What is your current position level?
Chairperson/shareholder
C-suite executive
Departmental head
Project leader
Manager level
Employee/staff/clerk
Contractor
Other, please specify
*
24.
Which industry does your current organisation belong to?
Banking, insurance, finance and stock industry
Transport & Logistic industry
Aerospace industry
Agriculture industry
Computer industry
Telecommunication industry
Education industry
Construction industry
Electronics Industry
Manufacturing Industry
Energy Industry
Bio/Pharmaceutical Industry
Healthcare Industry
Food Industry
Entertainment Industry
Music Industry
Internet/digital Industry
New Media Industry
Mining Industry
Hotel & resorts Industry
Retail Industry
Audit, tax, legal, consulting and other professional services
Institutions, Research & Development etc
Public sector
Other services industries
Others (please specify__)
*
25.
Nature of your organisation :
Governmental sector
Non-profit organisation
Hospital
School, research institution, other public service sectors, etc.
Multinational Company
State-owned enterprise
Private company
Others (please specify)
*
26.
Number of employees in your oragnisation (excluding parent company/organisation) ( single choice ) :
Please choose from below
1-500 headcounts
501-1,000 headcounts
1,001-3,000 headcounts
3,001-5,000 headcounts
5,001-10,000 headcounts
10,001-30,000 headcounts
30,001-50,000 headcounts
50,000 headcounts or more
Part III: Notice and Appreciation
*
27.
I agree that GO-TKM may keep my details (under GDPR May 2018) to contact me about this survey (note that if permission is not given, we will not be able to contact you in case of validation, final survey report, online ticket or query)
Yes
No
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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