Abstract:

Tacit knowledge matters in workplace learning because experienced practitioners often rely on judgment, routine, and situational awareness that are difficult to formalize but essential to competent performance. This scoping review examines how recent studies address the transfer of tacit knowledge in workplace settings and how digital tools are used to support that process.

The review covered 55 peer-reviewed studies published mainly between 2019 and 2024. It analysed how tacit knowledge was defined, which transfer methods were studied, what barriers and enabling conditions were reported, and how technology was positioned in relation to human interaction and learning.

The findings show that tacit knowledge transfer continues to depend chiefly on human-centred practices, especially mentoring, job shadowing, observation, storytelling, communities of practice, and structured on-the-job learning. These methods remain effective because they preserve context, make reasoning visible in practice, and allow novices to learn through guided participation rather than through detached documentation alone.

Digital tools, including collaborative platforms, e-learning environments, knowledge graphs, and AI-supported systems, play a secondary role. They are used mainly to support capture, prompting, reflection, and retrieval, not to replace interpersonal guidance. The main barriers reported in the literature are low trust, limited time for interaction, weak knowledge-sharing cultures, and the difficulty of articulating experience-based judgment. Key enablers include psychological safety, supportive leadership, structured reflection, and work arrangements that enable guided interaction.

The review also identifies a clear gap in longitudinal evidence, particularly on the lasting effects of transfer interventions and on whether technology-supported approaches remain effective across roles and settings. Overall, the findings suggest that digital support is most valuable when it strengthens explanation, comparison, and professional judgment within workplace learning rather than displacing human guidance.

Keywords:

Tacit knowledge, Workplace learning, Knowledge transfer Human-centred learning Mentoring, Job shadowing, Communities of practice, Digital support, Knowledge sharing, Organizational learning, Reflection, Scoping review.