TACIT KNOWLEDGE SHARING THROUGH STORYTELLING

Storytelling is a tool of tacit knowledge sharing with a high potential. A story is a complex system of symbols. Stories give sense to things and events and represent norms, experience and explanation of reality. Basic values of people and groups are projected into them. We use stories to create personal and group identities, change social practices, and share values. Our private stories determine what we accept, how we see the word and influence our response to incentives. People use stories naturally many times a day without being aware of their special meaning. A story is a virtual experience that enables the listener or reader to create own tacit knowledge in a reality simulated by the story. A story can be used for tacit knowledge sharing between two or more people. It has the ability to pick up links and relationships that cannot be externalised. A proper story can overcome mental barriers people build against new knowledge. Story improves communication between people, raises their creativity and helps to find common values and solve conflicts. Stories have the ability to open the imagination of people and increase their innovative potential. A story can work as a catalyst of change. The article discusses exploitation of storytelling in corporate life and presents data from the research on tacit knowledge sharing made at our University.