Acquisition of tacit knowledge in knowledge management with using of the repertory grid method(Case Study: Exploring and explaining key success factors in Supply Chain Management from the perspective of industry Zen Experts)

Organizational knowledge is developed through the interaction between tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge, and therefore one of the main challenges of knowledge management is to make more and more of the tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge.

In this research, the repertory gridmethod is introduced as a structured way for acquiring tacit knowledge in the process of organizational knowledge management. Accordingly, an empirical sample of the application of this method to explain the key factors of the success of supply chain quality management has been outlined so that researchers can use this method.

In order to explain the quality management principles of the supply chain based on the repertory gridapproach, which is a valid and useful method for achieving personal structures of individuals, an interview was conducted with 20 industry Zinc experts on the province of Zanjan, which totaled 225 structures in this area.

By conducting content analysis, these structures were reduced to 31 factors, which can be considered as the focal point of supply chain members’ coordination in the field of quality management.

The key factors obtained in this study, in addition to the results obtained from the research carried out in this field, are also of a comprehensive nature to the past findings.Therefore, the efficiency and capability of the repertory gridmethod for acquiring tacit knowledge in the KM process are highlighted.