Managers' perceptions of tacit knowledge in Edinburgh's Indian restaurants

Abstract

Abstract: Purpose – This paper aims to explore tacit knowledge and managers’ supervision styles in a sample of Edinburgh's Indian restaurants. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reports a qualitative fieldwork of managers’ perceptions of their role in directing tasks, supervising operations and staff recruitment. Findings – The research findings describe tacit knowledge contexts derived from restaurant owner-managers directing operations. Research limitations/implications – This is an exploratory study of views and perceptions of a small sample of ethnic managers. It asks questions of tacit knowledge within Scottish-based Indian restaurants, and attempts to place these within a cultural context of kinship networks. Practical implications – The research questions how academic researchers may make nebulous concepts such as tacit knowledge accessible to practical hospitality managers, policy-makers, students and teachers. Originality/value – The research findings describe the context to relationships in small ethnic hospitality businesses. Conceptual development emerges from deductions made from literature, fieldwork, shadowing, interviews, and by asking questions.