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How strategic knowledge hiding drives competitive individuals to establish research superiority: a case in UK Business Schools

How strategic knowledge hiding drives competitive individuals to establish research superiority:... Why and when people working in organisations hide their knowledge has received considerable academic attention. However, little attention has been paid to knowledge hiding in academia itself, even though universities are known as places where knowledge is shared. This study aims to consider the dilemma faced by academics when undertaking research work: should they share or hide what they are doing?Design/methodology/approachUsing empirical evidence drawn from 20 academics in a number of UK Business Schools, the authors carried out in-depth interviews to investigate the effects of strategic knowledge hiding (SKH) on research knowledge work. The authors argue that SKH can drive competitive individuals to establish research superiority.FindingsThe findings revealed that most respondents have, for strategic reasons, hidden their tacit and/or explicit knowledge from others during ongoing research processes, but have, at the same time, purposefully sought for knowledge from targeted colleagues.Originality/valueThe findings extend the previous literature by revealing not only the distinctive individual antecedents of SKH but also its positive outcomes. The findings illustrate a pioneering contribution of a systematic model of SKH among university business school academics. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Knowledge Management Emerald Publishing

How strategic knowledge hiding drives competitive individuals to establish research superiority: a case in UK Business Schools

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References (81)

Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
© Emerald Publishing Limited
ISSN
1367-3270
eISSN
1367-3270
DOI
10.1108/jkm-07-2022-0551
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Why and when people working in organisations hide their knowledge has received considerable academic attention. However, little attention has been paid to knowledge hiding in academia itself, even though universities are known as places where knowledge is shared. This study aims to consider the dilemma faced by academics when undertaking research work: should they share or hide what they are doing?Design/methodology/approachUsing empirical evidence drawn from 20 academics in a number of UK Business Schools, the authors carried out in-depth interviews to investigate the effects of strategic knowledge hiding (SKH) on research knowledge work. The authors argue that SKH can drive competitive individuals to establish research superiority.FindingsThe findings revealed that most respondents have, for strategic reasons, hidden their tacit and/or explicit knowledge from others during ongoing research processes, but have, at the same time, purposefully sought for knowledge from targeted colleagues.Originality/valueThe findings extend the previous literature by revealing not only the distinctive individual antecedents of SKH but also its positive outcomes. The findings illustrate a pioneering contribution of a systematic model of SKH among university business school academics.

Journal

Journal of Knowledge Management – Emerald Publishing

Published: Nov 22, 2023

Keywords: Strategic knowledge hiding; Academia; Individual antecedent; Tacit knowledge; Explicit knowledge

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