The Tacit Knowledge Through the Customer Experience

Abstract

This chapter connects the management and marketing fields by scrutinizing the tacit knowledge management in the case of the customer experience theory. First, the theoretical and conceptual side is presented. To this regard, the tacit knowledge' importance is stressed. Likewise, a discussion of its externalization methods in reference to the customer experience theory as well as its strong relationship with the innovation development, is emphasized. Especially, the experiential innovation is targeted by this research and defended. The research question treated is: How to acquire and use the customer experiential knowledge CEK- for an experiential innovation development? Thus, CEK is conceptualized, in advance, through a deeper correspondence between the tacit knowledge taxonomies and the consumption experience dimensions. Second, the practical side presents a depth qualitative research undertaken with managers of Tunisian thalassotherapy centers to respond to the cited question. Finally, content analysis techniques, discussion of results and the practical contribution are advanced.