Explicit knowledge is objective, rational, and codified—meaning it exists outside of an individual's mind and is easily accessible and straightforward to share.
This knowledge—examples include databases, patents, operational manuals, and scientific formulas—can be readily stored, retrieved, and replicated.
For organizations, effectively transferring this knowledge is crucial for rapidly scaling operations and ensuring consistent quality across global teams.
In contrast, tacit knowledge is personal, experiential, and difficult to articulate. This includes individual insights, skills, and intuition—the "know-how" that experts possess. Effective knowledge management requires converting tacit knowledge into explicit forms for wider organizational benefit, a process known as externalization.