Professionalising Tacit Knowledge and Innovation Capacity: Case Studies of Chinese Family SMEs in Malaysia’s Rubber Manufacturing Sector

This study examines how the professionalisation of tacit knowledge and innovation capacity affects enterprise development in family businesses experiencing generational change. A conceptual framework is developed to link organisational outcomes with shifts in objective setting that influence innovation and development. Focusing on historical family business profiles from Malaysia’s Companies Commission (SSM), the research uses multiple case studies and in-depth interviews to explore the professionalisation of tacit knowledge and innovation capacity in family-owned firms in the rubber industry. As the fifth-largest producer and exporter of natural rubber, Malaysia serves as a relevant context to analyse how the interplay between tacit knowledge and innovation capacity impacts operations, management, and outcomes during generational transitions in a knowledge-based economy.