Knowledge processes in virtual teams - Tacit knowledge

The deployment of virtual teamwork superseding traditional work structures provides ample opportunities for organizations regarding e.g., cost efficiency and employee retention. Many organizations embrace the potentials of virtual teamwork, being it modern enterprises such as start-ups or traditionally set companies integrating more virtual solutions along their evolution. Virtual teams create value by processing knowledge through the creation, transfer, retention and application of knowledge. Knowledge consists of explicit knowledge and hard to capture tacit knowledge. As tacit knowledge cannot always be easily converted to explicit knowledge in form of written documents, the knowledge processes for virtual teams are constituted differently regarding tacit knowledge. The reliance on information and communication technology for processing tacit knowledge introduces further challenges but also opens up new approaches, e.g., by working in three dimensional virtual environ ments. The paper at hand presents an exploratory case study about how knowledge processes regarding tacit knowledge manifest themselves in virtual teams and what technological solutions are relevant as support. A case study is performed and implications for the implementation and technological support of knowledge processes for tacit knowledge are derived.