Role of explicit and tacit knowledge in Six Sigma projects: An empirical examination of differential project success

This research develops a conceptual model for predicting success of process improvement projects as a result of knowledge-creation practices employed in the projects. The model is empirically examined in the context of Six Sigma black belt projects. New scales are developed to measure explicit- and...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of operations management 2010-07, Vol.28 (4), p.303-315
Main Authors: Anand, Gopesh, Ward, Peter T., Tatikonda, Mohan V.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Explicit knowledge
Knowledge
Knowledge management
Operations research
Organizational learning
Process improvement
Regression analysis
Six Sigma
Studies
Success
Tacit knowledge
Teams
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This research develops a conceptual model for predicting success of process improvement projects as a result of knowledge-creation practices employed in the projects. The model is empirically examined in the context of Six Sigma black belt projects. New scales are developed to measure explicit- and tacit-knowledge-creation practices in process improvement. Data is gathered via a cross-sectional sample, and the hypotheses are tested using hierarchical regression. Our results support the notion that knowledge-creation practices influence the success of process improvement projects. Specifically, the inclusion of softer, people-oriented practices for capturing tacit knowledge explains a significant amount of variance in project success, as much as the more analytically focused practices that capture explicit knowledge. This research offers practical insights about the influence of practices that project managers use to create new knowledge by capturing explicit and tacit knowledge, and seeks to advance theoretical understanding of process improvement.
ISSN:0272-6963
1873-1317
DOI:10.1016/j.jom.2009.10.003