Building script-based tacit knowledge in call centre trainees

An exploratory case study on a technical support call centre in China is presented, which investigates a new paradigm that script-based tacit knowledge for action is built in the brains of learners, rather than transferred. Twelve techniques used by the case study organization to build tacit knowledge scripts in the minds of the trainees are discussed. It was found that one type of script-based tacit knowledge execution can be represented by a set of steps in action-taking that include awareness, attention, diagnosis, action alternative analysis, action taking, and outcome evaluation. The case findings show that the notion of building, rather than transferring tacit knowledge is helpful in understanding the organizational processes used to bring new employees up to working skill levels, and suggest that similar processes and training methods for building tacit knowledge scripts can be used by other organizations to transform a new recruit to an experienced and valued employee.