The SECI model - aka Nonaka-Takeuchi model - explains how tacit and and explicit knowledge of individuals are converted into organizational knowledge.
The dimensions of the model, that also make up the acronym, are:
- Socialization: Tacit -> Tacit - sharing knowledge through imitation / observation; think apprenticeship
- Externalization: Tacit -> Explicit - codifying (approximation of) knowledge into procedures; think handbooks / best practices
- Composition: Explicit -> Explicit - organizing and integrating, recombining into new things; think prototype, new product
- Internalization: Explicit -> Tacit - converting information into action; think learning-by-doing
Knowledge creation in the model is considered a continuous cycling through the above, strengthening both explicit and tacit knowledge of both individuals and the organization.
