Tacit Knowledge Sharing for Enhancing the Sustainability of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Crafts: A Perspective from Artisans and Academics under Craft–Design Collaboration

Abstract

The tacit nature of craft forms a barrier to the sustainability of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) crafts in craft–design collaboration that makes facilitating knowledge sharing across domains challenging. Hence, the discussion of tacit knowledge becomes a significant topic in university-based craft–design collaboration. However, there is still a lack of a systematic tacit knowledge-sharing structure for guiding academics and artisans in interacting beyond superficial manifestations in collaboration with the consideration of sustainability. This study aims to seek the relationship between craft–design collaboration, tacit knowledge sharing, and sustainability in the context of ICH crafts in China. By taking a qualitative research approach, grounded in knowledge management, semi-structured interviews were conducted with artisans and academics in China’s Belt and Road regions guided by the four defined dimensions of craft–design collaboration. This study investigates tacit knowledge sharing in craft–design collaboration, and its key contribution to sustainability. The study found that university-based collaboration activity can share knowledge sustainably and dynamically through knowledge accumulation, knowledge expression, knowledge diffusion, and knowledge reflection. Additionally, it argues that the integration of craft–design collaboration and knowledge management should be considered an essential future skill to investigate the sustainability impact of ICH crafts.