An empirical study of shop floor tacit knowledge acquisition in Chinese manufacturing enterprises

China’s WTO entry has led to further market reforms and openness. China’s manufacturing enterprises are realizing that they have to strive to survive in the increasingly competitive market. One of the ways to attain a better competitive edge is to use new technologies. However, research has found that there are many hurdles to successful implementation of new technologies. As the shop floor of a manufacturing enterprise is where most computerized and automated systems are located and used, this research focuses on the shop floor of China’s manufacturing enterprises in the context of computerization and automation. This empirical study started out with four research hypotheses. The test of these hypotheses was conducted through a questionnaire survey. The research found that tacit knowledge acquisition (TKA) on the shop floor could be measured quantitatively. The study identified nine factors that are associated with TKA. Among them, ‘‘technical professionals’’ play a significant role on TKA. The study leads to the development of a set of quantitative models that can be used to predict, analyze, assess, and improve the quality of TKA and performance of shop floor. Relevance to industry This empirical study is relevant to Chinese manufacturing industries including aircraft manufacturing, automobile, motorcycle, machine tool, diesel engine, crane, boiler, and electronics appliance. r 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.