Governance Fit between Tacit and Explicit Knowledge for Cooperation in International Construction: A Configurational Analysis

Effective knowledge transfer is critical for successful collaboration in international construction projects, particularly under conditions of project complexity and environmental uncertainty. However, how to match governance mechanisms with different knowledge dimensions to promote cooperation remains an ongoing challenge for project practitioners. This study investigates how explicit and tacit knowledge interact with contractual and relational governance mechanisms under the complexity of the project and the uncertainty of its environment to shape cooperative behavior. Based on a questionnaire survey of 192 valid responses, this study applies fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to identify high-cooperation pathways. The results reveal four effective governance configurations clustered into three archetypes: Type I (formal–relational explicit governance), which integrates complete contracts and trust to support explicit knowledge transfer, and Types II and III (relational governance), which emphasize high trust under complex conditions—Type II with a focus on explicit knowledge and Type III with a focus on tacit knowledge. This study contributes to the theoretical and managerial implications by extending the governance–knowledge alignment framework in international construction projects settings and highlighting the value of a configurational approach to understanding cooperation dynamics.