What Do Knowledge and Knowledge Sharing Mean in This Thesis?

As discussed, we can identify three main islands in knowledge literature. 1) Knowledge can be explicit and tacit. 2) There is articulable and inarticulable, individual and organisational knowledge. 3) Knowledge has two alternative perceptions; it can be considered as an asset and as a process.

1) Tacit vs. Explicit

However, the difference between tacit and explicit knowledge is not sharply divided (Polanyi, 1969). Nevertheless, the definition of explicit and tacit knowledge for this thesis can be summarised by citing Polanyi (1969, p.144) that tacit knowledge can be possessed by itself, whereas explicit knowledge should “rely on being tacitly understood and applied”, which means that all knowledge is either tacit or rooted in tacit knowledge.

If to apply the previously explored definition of explicit knowledge and tacit knowledge to OSS communities and individuals, who are contributing to the OSS development; then explicit knowledge will mean a documented version of the software, which OSS developers write tacitly and share between each other as a process. This means that the skills and experience to write that software masterfully („beautifully‟, as OSS developers would say) will be the tacit knowledge of those OSS developers. In other words, it is a process (Empson, 2001), where OSS developers use their know-how and share it with others.

Chapter 2: Literature Review 1

Knowledge

This proves Polanyi‟s idea that all knowledge is either tacit or rooted in tacit knowledge. OSS developers write the software, which means they show by that written software that their knowledge can be codified and that software is explicit knowledge. Nevertheless, the ability and skills to write that software is dependent on tacit knowledge of the OSS developers. Tacit knowledge for OSS developers is their know- how, their skills and personal experience in the writing the software, improving it, sharing it, changing it or correcting it by the members in the OSS communities, who contribute in the development of the OSS. This can be interpreted as OSS developers not directly sharing their tacit knowledge; rather they share their explicit knowledge. It is because not all tacit knowledge is articulable.

2) Articulable vs. Inarticulable

As discussed, if knowledge is articulable and inarticulable as well as individual and organisational (Boisot, 1998; Gourlay, 2006 (a)), then there can be four different types of knowledge; articulable individual, articulable organisational, inarticulable individual and inarticulable organisational. Because of the topic of the thesis, here individual tacit knowledge sharing is investigated. Then, arctulable tacit knowledge which can later be expressed and documented into explicit knowledge as well inarticulable tacit knowledge, can be tested to see if it can be expressed through knowledge sharing processes. This should be studied in depth via empirical studies.

If under the term of articulable knowledge the software, which OSS developers write and share between each other can be understood, then the skills and experience to write that software beautifully will be inarticulable tacit knowledge of those OSS developers. This means that the gap in knowledge sharing, which has been mentioned by different scholars (for example, Sorenson, Rivkin & Fleming, 2006), can be considered as a “non-existent” gap in the case of OSS developers who write the software, which means they show by that software that their knowledge can be codified, and that software is articulable knowledge. They share their software, and the ability and skills to write that software beautifully is kept behind the software. This is one of the reasons for the success of OSS communities.

3) Knowledge as an Asset vs. Knowledge as a Process

The sharing of knowledge in OSS communities does not only happen through sharing the written software, i.e. explicit knowledge. As addressed later in the literature review

Chapter 2: Literature Review 1

Knowledge

and in the empirical studies, OSS developers pay attention to networking, communication and interaction between each other, online and offline. Such kind of interactions can be considered as a good basis for sharing tacit knowledge, and such kind of interaction is a good example of OSS communities: online communities, where intensive knowledge sharing processes are implemented: communities of practice8 (Lave & Wenger, 1991). For OSS communities it is important to use data, information, as well as organisational and individual explicit knowledge effectively, in addition to efficiently manage organisational and individual tacit knowledge in order to gain competitive advantage, because knowledge is a vital key for competitive advantage particularly the extensive influence of IT on the modern world and its current economy. That is why this thesis adopts knowledge as a process view. The knowledge as an asset perspective adopts the firm as a unit of analysis, the knowledge base and the KM systems of the firm; whereas knowledge from a process perspective looks at knowledge as “an objective reality”, a “social construct, developed, transmitted and maintained in social situations” (Empson, 2001, p.813).

This thesis uses the „knowledge as a process‟ perspective, the sharing process of individual tacit knowledge of OSS developers in OSS communities; knowledge, which cannot be understood, because such individual tacit knowledge of OSS developers is shared via sharing their know-how not only by writing beautiful software codes but also by social interactions. This thesis aims to understand how knowledge is shared within individuals inside VO, OSS communities, so that later on these communities can produce innovative products as the result of successful individual knowledge sharing processes. Therefore, this thesis considers tacit knowledge in OSS communities as personal knowledge; both articulable and inarticulable; know-how of the software developers in writing software beautifully.

It is the first step in understanding and investigating knowledge sharing at on individual level in OSS communities. „Knowledge as an asset‟ can be investigated further at a later stage (Chapter 7) in the future research in order to develop mechanisms for managing valuable knowledge within organisations effectively. The documented version of that process, the documented version of the beautifully written software can be considered as explicit knowledge, where tacit knowledge in its written/documented format via

Chapter 2: Literature Review 1

Knowledge

explicit knowledge becomes as asset of a particular organisation, OSS communities in the case of this thesis.

Therefore, sometime in this thesis there can seem some clashes between knowledge as an asset and knowledge as a process. The reason for that confusion can be because knowledge as an asset is a result of knowledge as a process. Knowledge as an asset is the last point in organisational managing of knowledge. However, in order to reach that point, in order organisations can have competitive advantage, individuals in organisations, OSS communities in the case of this thesis, have to have knowledge sharing processes. Because this thesis adopts knowledge as a process view, the further investigation should be considered under such perspective.