Gendered practices and tacit knowledge sharing in organizations: a structuration perspective

This paper aims to explore gendered practices in the context of tacit knowledge sharing from the perspective of female managers. It specifically explores these practices in two different gendered contexts. Drawing on structuration theory and a social constructionist perspective on knowledge sharing, the authors conducted a qualitative study utilizing semi-structured interview data gathered from 32 female managers working in two distinct and different gendered spaces. The study findings reveal that gendered practices in tacit knowledge sharing occur through organizational structures and processes, organizational informalities and discourse and communication. Therefore, gendered practices in the context of knowledge sharing are informal, invisible, socially situated and involve issues of power. We, therefore, advance understanding of the gender dynamics of knowledge sharing and in particular highlight the inherent tensions between structure and agency which are heightened in spaces governed by gendered hierarchies. We highlight research and practice implications of our findings.