Exploring tacit knowledge transfer and innovation capabilities within the buyer–supplier collaboration: a literature review

Abstract

The study seeks to identify the main facilitators and barriers of tacit knowledge transfer that influence innovation capabilities of the supplier within the buyer–supplier collaboration.The conceptual paper is based on a systematic literature review of 23 peer reviewed journal articles from Elsevier/Science Direct, Emerald, Springer and Scopus. Literature related to buyer–supplier context, tacit and explicit knowledge transfer, knowledge management for innovation purposes was reviewed and synthesised. Findings of the study indicate that organisational contextual factors, relationship strength, internal knowledge brokers, communication and transparency and link duration positively support tacit knowledge transfer and innovation. Complementarity of skills act as a barrier to operational knowledge transfer; however, it supports learning leading to supplier development and innovation in new product development. Conversely, knowledge stickiness is cited as a barrier to tacit knowledge transfer after reaching diminishing returns. The study synthesises the main facilitators of tacit knowledge transfer for managers/practitioners to consider in the buyer–supplier collaboration which can influence supplier innovation on projects such as new product development. The study has further proposed a model that will be tested quantitatively in the subsequent empirical study.

Keywords:

• tacit knowledge transfer
• buyer–supplier collaboration
• tacit knowledge facilitators
• tacit knowledge barrier
• innovation
• supplier capabilities

PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT

As competition between organisations is increasingly hitched on knowledge sharing and innovation among players in the supply chain, knowledge transfer has taken centre stage. Organisations must increase their efforts in exploring, assimilating and utilising the knowledge to outsmart other players in different supply chains. While organisations need to develop internal innovation capabilities, collaborating with other players in the supply chain and creating conditions for effective tacit knowledge transfer are important drivers of innovation outcomes. Suppliers are regarded as initiators of product and process innovation, however, there are limited studies that have explored facilitators and barriers to tacit knowledge to support the innovation capabilities of suppliers. This study highlights the main facilitators and barriers of tacit knowledge transfer within the buyer supplier context and proposes an integrative approach in enhancing the facilitators of knowledge transfer while suppressing barriers.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the editor and anonymous reviewers for their supportive comments and suggestions.

Additional information

Funding

The authors received no direct funding for this research.

Notes on contributors

Shem Sikombe

Shem Sikombe and Maxwell A. Phiri have been working on a project since 2018 on investigating how Government coordinated initiatives (institutionalised supplier development) have influenced local SME contractor’s performance in the construction industry in Zambia. Specifically, the project intends to apply the knowledge-based view and absorptive capacity theories to understand how local SME contractors’ ability to utilise knowledge (absorptive capacity) from contracts awarded to them through Government-coordinated initiatives influence their development and operational performance. This article is the first output from the many to come which are envisaged to contribute significantly in an under-researched context of public sector procurement initiatives in the construction industry in Zambia.