Tacit Knowledge Sharing and Project Performance. Does the Knowledge Workers' Personal Branding Matter?

Abstract

Tacit knowledge sharing is the real challenge for knowledge management today. Network economy has completely changed the role of knowledge workers who now become independent tacit knowledge producers. Bearing this fact in mind, the author studied how tacit knowledge sharing affects the process of building a personal brand and project performance. For this purpose, the authors conducted a study among Polish professionals with different roles and experience in managing projects in various industries. The data collected during the study has been analysed using the equal structural modelling method. The results indicate that tacit knowledge sharing is used when developing a personal brand of knowledge workers who take care about the personal reputation. The intermediary role of personal branding in the relationship of tacit knowledge sharing and project performance points to a new context of tacit knowledge sharing as a key factor of knowledge management in learning organisations, which can be used for designing incentive schemes. Tacit Knowledge Sharing is also presented as a very sensitive and specific variable interesting for further research.