In the context of corporations, tribal knowledge or know-how has been described most broadly as the collective wisdom of the organization and the sum of all the knowledge and capabilities of all the people;[1] however, in management science, it is usually viewed as a particular subset thereof: a type of institutional memory that lacks adequate documentation, such that its preservation in the organization over time relies solely on processes such as mentoring, apprenticeship, on-the-job training, and, at the heart of all of those, continuity of staffing, which is inherently vulnerable to employee turnover (of both workers and managers).
But the name tribal knowledge came about by analogy with the many kinds of human tribes as studied in cultural anthropology.
Unlike similar forms of artisan intelligence, tribal knowledge can be converted into company property.
Both tacit and tribal knowledge are formed by personal stories, learning experiences, mentorships and in-person trainings.
[citation needed] "The Tribal Knowledge Paradox"[4] refers to the common belief and management rhetoric that business success is dependent on the knowledge and skills of labor, even as business organization, structure, processes, and management actions conflict with the rhetoric and discourage free information flow.