An Empirical Investigation on the Role of Experience in Tacit Knowledge Acquisition among Malaysian Academia

Experience contributes to tacit knowledge acquisition but its role especially in the academic domain remains unclear. This study investigates the role of experience in tacit knowledge acquisition in Malaysian academia using the mixed methods approach with grounded theory as the qualitative approach followed by survey. It is discovered that tacit knowledge is knowledge internalized by the academicians in their work practice. Two types of experience which are in-depth experience and diversity of experience influence the tacit knowledge acquisition. The operational contribution of experience to tacit knowledge lies in an academician’s ability to learn and apply it in an appropriate situation.