A Systematic Literature Review: the Effect of Tacit Knowledge Sharing on Employee Innovation
Abstract
The rapid advancements in the industrial revolution 4.0 have reshaped business paradigms, prompting organizations to undergo transformative changes to maintain competitiveness. One critical factor for sustaining competitive advantage is innovation, which is closely tied to the effective utilization of knowledge resources, particularly tacit knowledge. Tacit knowledge, derived from individual experiences, is considered a vital asset due to its unique and non-replicable characteristics. This study aims to investigate the role of tacit knowledge sharing in enhancing employee innovation across various industrial sectors. Using a systematic literature review (SLR) methodology, this research synthesizes findings from numerous studies published between 2019 and 2024 to explore the relationship between tacit knowledge sharing and employee innovation. The review addresses three primary questions: the development of research in this field, implementation strategies in specific industries, and factors influencing the effectiveness of tacit knowledge sharing. Results reveal that tacit knowledge sharing significantly boosts employee innovation through improved creativity and problem-solving capabilities. However, its effectiveness depends on factors such as organizational culture, employee motivation, and interaction opportunities. Practical recommendations are provided to optimize knowledge-sharing processes, ultimately supporting organizational innovation and competitiveness in an era of rapid technological change.
References
Maria, G. H., Mikha, A. B., Fiki, R. J., & Dinda, Q. P. A. (2024). Unlocking employee innovative behaviour: Exploring the power of transformational leadership and tacit knowledge sharing among Indonesia white collar workers. Journal of Emerging Competencies, ?(?), Article e0003. https://doi.org/10.2478/jec-2024-0003
Sultan, A., Waed, E., & Ayman, H. (2024). Linking employee voice to service recovery performance in the hotel sector: The mediating role of tacit knowledge sharing and employee innovation. Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation, 20(3–4), ?. https://doi.org/10.7341/20242034
Thomas, A. (2023). Promoting IT professionals’ tacit knowledge sharing through social capital and Web 2.0: The moderating role of absorptive capacity. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, ?(?), ?. https://doi.org/10.1108/K-05-2022-0649
Kucharska, W. (2021). Do mistakes acceptance foster innovation? Polish and US cross-country study of tacit knowledge sharing in IT. Journal of Knowledge Management, 25(11), 105–128.
Valle-Cruz, D., Muñoz-Chávez, J. P., & García-Contreras, R. (2024). Navigating the Fourth Industrial Revolution: Empowering Socio-Technical Organizations With Data-Driven Business Intelligence Systems. In Data-Driven Business Intelligence Systems for Socio-Technical Organizations (pp. 1-27). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-1210-0.ch001
Kılıç, C., & Atilla, G. (2024). Industry 4.0 and sustainable business models: An intercontinental sample. Business Strategy and the Environment, 33(4), 3142-3166. Kılıç, C., & Atilla, G. (2024). Industry 4.0 and sustainable business models: An intercontinental sample. Business Strategy and the Environment, 33(4), 3142-3166. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3634
Agustian, K., Mubarok, E. S., Zen, A., Wiwin, W., & Malik, A. J. (2023). The impact of digital transformation on business models and competitive advantage. Technology and Society Perspectives (TACIT), 1(2), 79-93. https://doi.org/10.61100/tacit.v1i2.55
Gold, A. H., Malhotra, A., & Segars, A. H. (2001). Knowledge management: An organizational capabilities perspective. Journal of management information systems, 18(1), 185-214. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421222.2001.11045669
Pandey, S. C., & Dutta, A. (2013). Role of knowledge infrastructure capabilities in knowledge management. Journal of knowledge management, 17(3), 435-453. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-11-2012-0365
Sokoh, G. C., & Okolie, U. C. (2021). Knowledge management and its importance in modern organizations. Journal of Public Administration, Finance and Law, 20(1), 283-300.
Zhang, J., Zia, U., Shehzad, M. U., & Sherani. (2025). Tacit knowledge management process, product innovation and organizational performance: exploring the role of affective trust and task efficiency. Business Process Management Journal, 31(1), 267-297. https://doi.org/10.1108/BPMJ-11-2023-0873
Nishat, S. S., & Haque, M. A. (2025). Effect of employee engagement on innovative work behavior in the ready-made garment industry in Bangladesh: mediating effect of knowledge sharing. Future Business Journal, 11(1), 171. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43093-025-00597-5
Soomro, S. A., Soomro, S. A., Prasai, K., & Muhammad, F. (2025). Frugal innovation and sustainable leadership in resource constrained environments: the role of tacit and explicit knowledge sharing. Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEAS-02-2025-0085
Hietaranta, N. (2025). Towards More Effective Collaboration Within the OCC: Social Network Analysis in the Context of Knowledge Management.
Thomas, A. (2025). The dynamics of knowledge behaviors: exploring drivers, triggers and paradoxes in knowledge sharing, hiding, hoarding and sabotage. Journal of Knowledge Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-03-2025-0399
Sippel, C. S., & Ucelo Jiménez, M. (2025). From epistemic erasure to epistemic resistance: autoethnographic reflections on the potential of body mapping in decolonising methodologies. Third World Quarterly, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2025.2527813
Permana, D., & Schouten, F. S. (2025). The Role of Innovation Management on Maintaining a Competitive Edge. The Journal of Academic Science, 2(1), 300-307. https://doi.org/10.59613/xqpxqf12
Yuzi, Z., Zainol, Z., & Ailing, S. (2025). Psychological Capital and Adaptive Performance Among E-Commerce Employees: An Analytical Review. ANP Journal of Social Science and Humanities, 6(1), 43-50. https://doi.org/10.53797/anp.jssh.v6i1.5.2025
Chakma, R., & Dhir, S. (2025). How do knowledge management and technological capability impact innovation performance of MSMEs? Role of ambidexterity. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/14778238.2025.2490175
Kania, N., & Kusumah, Y. S. (2025). The Measurement of Higher-Order Thinking Skills: A Systematic Literature Review. Malaysian Journal of Learning and Instruction, 22(1), 97-116.
Siklafidou, E., Satratzemi, M., & Xinogalos, S. (2025). A Critical Examination of the Impact of Serious Games on Learning Music: A Systematic Literature Review. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 41(3), e70050. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.70050
Nhung, D. T. H., Phong, L. B., & Lusk, B. (2024). High-performance work system based on the AMO model, knowledge sharing, and employee performance in Vietnam’s private firms. Journal of International Economics and Management, 24(2), 73-92. https://doi.org/10.38203/jiem.024.2.0087
Dai, J., Jin, Y. H., Cantor, D. E., Elking, I., & Guntuka, L. (2025). An experimental investigation of environmental knowledge sharing in a supply chain coopetition situation. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 45(2), 628-650. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-10-2023-0840
Alkhalaf, T., & Al‐Tabbaa, O. (2024). The effect of ability, motivation and opportunity (AMO) on SMEs' innovation performance. Creativity and Innovation Management, 33(1), 21-38. https://doi.org/10.1111/caim.12578
Ullah, M., Kayani, U., Aysan, A. F., Mariev, O., & Nawaz, F. (2025). Nexus among sustainable organizational social networks, knowledge sharing and digital innovation in High-Tech enterprises of an emerging economy. Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFRA-07-2024-0385
Olaniyi, O. O., Ugonnia, J. C., Olaniyi, F. G., Arigbabu, A. T., & Adigwe, C. S. (2024). Digital collaborative tools, strategic communication, and social capital: Unveiling the impact of digital transformation on organizational dynamics. Asian Journal of Research in Computer Science, 17(5), 140-156. https://doi.org/10.9734/AJRCOS/2024/v17i5444
Duan, Y., Wang, K., Chang, H., Liu, W., & Xie, C. (2024). The moderating effect of organizational knowledge utilization on top management team’s social capital and the innovation quality of high-tech firms. Journal of Knowledge Management, 28(10), 3104-3128. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-08-2023-0678
Ononye, U. (2022). Linking tacit knowledge sharing to employee innovation with job thriving as a mediational factor: A public sector perspective. International Journal of Public Policy and Administration Research, 9(2), 22-32.
Zhao, S., Jiang, Y., Peng, X., & Hong, J. (2021). Knowledge sharing direction and innovation performance in organizations: do absorptive capacity and individual creativity matter?. European journal of innovation management, 24(2), 371-394. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-09-2019-0244
Copyright (c) 2025 Journal La Sociale

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.



