Tacit and explicit knowledge: empirical investigation in an emergency regime

Tacit knowledge has long been recognised as an important component of how individuals perform. But how can tacit knowledge be measured in organisational situations? This paper explores the role of tacit knowledge in performance of individuals and teams in emergency regime of the Emergency Department (ED) of a main hospital. Content analysis of two cases support the proposition that when explicit research – in the form of protocols of care – are unsuccessful, yet a patient is saved, tacit knowledge is the only component of knowledge that can explain this surge in performance.

Keywords: tacit knowledge, explicit knowledge, emergency departments, accident and emergency, individual performance, team performance, teamwork healthcare organisations, expert thinking, hospital A&, amp, E, medical care