As transformações do conhecimento no processo de inovação: um estudo multicasos no desenvolvimento da tecnologia flex fuel no Brasil

The aim of this paper is to understand the organizational knowledge construction from the innovation process. For this, it investigates the development project of the flex fuel technology in the Brazilian context of three systems suppliers (first‐tier suppliers) for the automotive industry. Methodologically this paper was supported by interviews for the three case studies: Bosch, Magneti Marelli and Delphi. The projects were divided into three phases (pre‐development, development and post‐development) and the knowledge classified in two ways: tacit and explicit that interact to form the organizational knowledge through socialization, externalization, combination and internalization (SECI model). The research concluded that the interactions between the different types of knowledge occur differently in each project phases depending on how it is managed (formally or informally). In the pre‐development, the organization uses more the tacit knowledge (socialization and internalization). In the development phase, a project conducted in a formal way uses the tacit knowledge and the explicit knowledge. As for an informal project has focuses in the building of the tacit knowledge (socialization and internalization). In the last phase of the project, the post‐development, the organization learns through tacit knowledge (socialization) and explicit knowledge (combination).