This research explored the role of tacit knowledge in livestock sector innovation capacity though the case of Visakha Dairy, one of the most progressive producer-owned milk marketing companies in India.
Analysis of two episodes in Visakha’s evolution illustrates how it used tacit knowledge to innovate around challenges. The research revealed that while tacit knowledge is a major resource that organisations rely on to cope with change, it does not follow that knowledge management approaches that centre on codifying this knowledge are the way forward. Instead, it suggest that better management of the learning processes, through which tacit knowledge is generated, would be a more useful contribution to innovation and innovation capacity – in other words, a shift from knowledge management to learning management.