Transferring tacit knowledge during maritime pilot training: assessment of methods in use

Abstract

Accurate knowledge management is vital for an organization to perform well. Managing explicit knowledge is relatively easy but managing tacit (implicit) knowledge is not. Effective transfer of tacit knowledge from experts to novices in an organization is therefore essential. Maritime pilotage is a safety-critical operation in which pilots use their expertise to guide vessels in specific waters. The purpose of this study is to improve the Pilot Training Programme (PTP) run by the Swedish Maritime Administration (SMA). The aim of this study is to evaluate and describe the prevailing methods of transferring tacit knowledge during the PTP. This study includes 20 maritime pilots and covers a complete PTP. A qualitative mixed-methods approach was used, based on activity theory and including observations, interviews, questionnaires, and document analyses. The results showed that tacit knowledge transfer during the PTP occurs during situated learning, such as apprenticeships, hands-on learning and communities of work. However, the transfer methods are not sufficiently documented from a didactic perspective.