A study on tacit knowledge – Development of a theoretical knowledge model and its instantiation in Virtual RealityZum Erkenntnisgegenstand des stillschweigenden Wissens – Erarbeitung eines lerntheoretischen Wissensmodells und dessen Instanziierung im virtuellen Raum

Abstract

The present dissertation examines the subject of tacit knowledge, a topic of significant relevance in the fields of business knowledge management, information systems, and information system science. Starting with a critical in-depth analysis of the foundational works of Michael Polanyi and Ikujirō Nonaka & Hirotaka Takeuchi, the research process aims to develop an understanding of tacit knowledge that is decoupled from metaphysical perspectives and to provide explanations for its formation supported by learning theories. Embracing the potentials of digital (learning) technologies, a virtual reality-based learning environment is also created, which can contribute to the acquisition of tacit knowledge. Using the Design Science Research Method (DSRM), the work pursues two design goals: the development of a learning-theoretical knowledge model to explain the formation of tacit knowledge and the development of a virtual reality-based learning environment to acquire tacit knowledge.