Bridging ‘The Great Divide’: Nonaka's Synthesis of ‘Western’ and ‘Eastern’ Knowledge Concepts Reassessed

Abstract

Knowledge management remains one of the most debated topics in current management literature. In particular, Nonaka's interpretation of Polanyi's distinction between explicit and tacit knowledge and his approach of framing the knowledge generation process in terms of an interaction between ‘Western’ (predominately explicit) and ‘Eastern’ (predominantly tacit) knowledge types have been repeatedly discussed and criticized. In this context, management research increasingly has to address questions pertaining to philosophical theories. The present article offers a critical investigation of Nonaka's philosophical assumptions and thus sheds light on the core issues pertaining to the nature of knowledge underlying the current controversial discourse on this subject. The strengths and weaknesses of Nonaka's quest to integrate ‘Western’ and ‘Eastern’ knowledge into the framework of his comprehensive knowledge creation theory will be outlined at the end of a thorough investigation of the salient epistemological notions cited by Nonaka as the basis for his knowledge creation theory.

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