Tacit knowledge in the workplace: the facilitating role of peer relationships

The purpose of this article is to investigate the role peer relationships play in making tacit knowledge explicit and accessible in the wider organization and whether they contribute to learning in a learning environment.

A dominant‐less dominant design, with the qualitative design being the dominant paradigm. Semi‐structured interviews provided qualitative data while the dimensions of the learning organization questionnaire (DLOQ) yielded quantitative data.

It was found that peer relationships provide the context within which sensemaking can take place and that the peer relationship by definition is the context within which these constructs already function effectively.

The findings are relevant to this case, a small organization within a specific industry, printing, and so cannot be generalized. Existing research addresses sensemaking in hierarchical organizations. Future research should address sensemaking in the context of the flatter organization. Such research must look at the role of peer relationships.

Adds to limited existing body of knowledge peer relationships. Shows how peer relationships can contribute to learning within the organization through the use of dialogue, inquiry, and the process of sensemaking and that the learning organization is environment in which sharing of tacit knowledge can take place.