Tacit knowledge in professional firms: the teachings of firms in very puzzling situations

Abstract

Professional firms (i.e. consulting, lawyers, etc.) accumulate and apply knowledge that they build collaboratively with their clients, partners and other knowledge intensive firms. Tacit knowledge, i.e. knowledge that can be acted, but cannot be expressed, circulates back‐and‐forth from clients to consultants. This paper explores patterns of capitalization of tacit knowledge in professional firms.