The Contribution of Evaluation to Socialization and Externalization of Tacit Knowledge: The Case of the World Bank

International organizations are increasingly focusing on organizational learning. The experience accumulated by development agencies throughout the world has become a source of organizational knowledge, which, according to Nonaka, is transferred through processes of socialization and externalization...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Evaluation (London, England. 1995) England. 1995), 2004-07, Vol.10 (3), p.263-283
Main Author: Marra, Mita
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Case studies
Codification
Data collection
Development agencies
Evaluation
Explicit knowledge
Externalizing behaviour
Information communication
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
International Economic Organizations
International organizations
Interviews
Knowledge
Knowledge management
Management
Organization development
Organization theory
Organizational culture
Organizational Development
Organizational learning
Organizational research
Social interaction
Socialization
Strategic planning
Tacit knowledge
Vocabulary
World Bank
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Summary:International organizations are increasingly focusing on organizational learning. The experience accumulated by development agencies throughout the world has become a source of organizational knowledge, which, according to Nonaka, is transferred through processes of socialization and externalization. Based upon three case studies and in-depth interviewing of World Bank managers and evaluators over two years, this article explores the contribution of evaluation to organizational learning. The study analyses the use patterns of evaluation as a source of knowledge within the World Bank. Findings show that participatory designs and processes favour socialization of tacit knowledge through interaction between organizational members. Theory-driven evaluations help externalize tacit into codified or explicit knowledge. Particular evaluation constructs - i.e. ‘chilling effect’ - provide vocabulary that clarifies discussion and debate for strategic planning. Overall, managers value those evaluation properties associated with (a) first-hand data collection within country case studies, and (b) theory-driven analyses, externalizing tacit insights coming from the field.
ISSN:1356-3890
1461-7153
DOI:10.1177/1356389004048278