Internalization (Explicit → Tacit)

A mode of knowledge conversion that embodies explicit knowledge into tacit knowledge through action and practice (“learning by doing.”

This is closest to the traditional notion of “learning.” When people read manuals, study procedures, or follow documented methods, they internalize that explicit knowledge through application. The explicit becomes tacit as it becomes second nature.

Internalization is facilitated by:

• “Verbalization” and “diagramming” of knowledge into documents or oral stories
• Personal experimentation with documented procedures
• Repeated practice until actions become automatic
• Simulation and experimentation in safe environments

The result is operational knowledge: production methods, new product usage patterns, policy implementation approaches. This knowledge lives in bodies and habits, not documents.

The cycle connection: internalization creates new tacit knowledge that can become the basis for new socialization, restarting the spiral. A worker who has internalized a procedure can now demonstrate it to others without referring to the manual.

Related: 06-molecule—seci-framework, 06-atom—tacit-knowledge-definition