A framework for sharing tacit knowledge within SMMEs: A South African Study

This study aims to develop a framework for sharing knowledge effectively within SMMEs that are situated in Johannesburg, South Africa. This is a qualitative approach. It was discussed that tacit knowledge is an intangible resource and intellectual capital that is not easily transferred to other people because some employees of the organization are not eager to share their knowledge. The reason for this can be the desire of having an upper hand over their colleagues. However, this paper discovered that in order for effective knowledge sharing to take place there must be a culture of sharing within the organization, those who are sharing and receiving knowledge must be given sufficient time so that sharing may be effective, management must support their subordinates by means of giving them the resources that they may need, there must be effective teamwork, employees must be committed and motivated, effective communication and the must be trust between the employees themselves and employees with their employers. Further research should be done on the correlations between the framework's independent variable and the dependent variables of sharing knowledge within SMMEs. Keywords: Knowledge Management, SMMEs, Tacit Knowledge, Knowledge Sharing.