Uncontrolled counter-knowledge: its effects on knowledge management corridors

Linking good counter-knowledge with bad counter knowledge: the impact of evasive knowledge hiding and defensive reasoning

Purpose

Counter-knowledge is knowledge learned from unverified sources and can be classified as good (i.e. harmful, for instance, funny jokes) or bad (for example, lies to manipulate others’ decisions). The purpose of this study is to analyse the relationship between these two elements and on the possible reactions they can induce on people and institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

The relationships between good and bad counter-knowledge and the induced reactions – namely, evasive knowledge hiding and defensive reasoning – are analysed through an empirical study among 151 Spanish citizens belonging to a knowledge-intensive organization during the COVID-19 pandemic. A two-step procedure has been established to assess a causal model with SmartPLS 3.2.9.

Findings

Results show that good counter-knowledge can lead to bad counter-knowledge. In addition, counter-knowledge can trigger evasive knowledge hiding, which, in turn, fosters defensive reasoning, in a vicious circle, which can negatively affect decision-making and also cause distrust in public institutions. This was evidenced during the covid-19 pandemic in relation to the measures taken by governments.

Originality/value

This study raises the awareness that counter-knowledge is a complex phenomenon, especially in a situation of serious crisis like a pandemic. In particular, it highlights that even good counter-knowledge can turn into bad and affect people’s decisional capability negatively. In addition, it signals that not all reactions to the proliferation of counter-knowledge by public institutions are positive. For instance, censorship and lack of transparency (i.e. evasive knowledge hiding) can trigger defensive reasoning, which can, in turn, affect people’s decisions and attitudes negatively.

The Influence of Knowledge Management Capacities on Pharmaceutical Firms Competitive Advantage: The Mediating Role of Supply Chain Agility and Moderating Role of Inter Functional Integration

This study investigates the factors such as knowledge management capacities and their positive influence on firm competitive advantage or the supply chain agility of the firm and the underlying mechanisms (supply chain agility) that facilitate the firm's performance and leads to firm competitive advantage. It also explores the moderating role of inter-functional integration. We have collected the data from the 308 supply chain managers of pharmaceutical firms in Pakistan and questionnaires were used for data collection with multi-item scales already developed and validated. The findings suggest that knowledge management capacities significantly influence a firm's competitive advantage or supply chain agility. The supply chain agility fully mediates between absorptive capacity, transformative capacity, and firm competitive advantage. Further, supply chain agility partially mediates between inventive capacity and firm competitive advantage. Meanwhile, inter-functional integration moderates the relationship between supply chain agility and firm competitive advantage, with their positive relationship strengthening when inter-functional integration is high. The study provides empirical evidence that knowledge management capacities (such as absorptive capacity, transformative capacity, and inventive capacity), supply chain agility, and inter-functional can be important factors in improving firm performance.

Towards a foundational KM theory: a culture-based perspective

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that influence knowledge processes and by extension organisational knowledge culture (KC).

Design/methodology/approach

Using a systematic model development approach based on an extensive literature review, the authors explore the notion of organisational KC and conceptualise a model that addresses the following research question: what factors affect employees’ values and beliefs about knowledge processes and by extension organisational KC?

Findings

This paper proposes that knowledge processes are interrelated and mutually enforcing activities, and that employee perceptions of various individual, group and organisational factors underpin employee values and beliefs about knowledge processes and help shape an organisation’s KC.

Research limitations/implications

The findings extend the understanding of the concept of KC and may point the way towards a unifying theory of knowledge management (KM) that can better account for the complexity and multi-dimensionality of knowledge processes and KC.

Practical implications

The paper provides important practical implications by explicitly accounting for the cultural aspects of the inextricably interrelated nature of the most common knowledge processes in KM initiatives.

Originality/value

KM research has examined a long and varied list of knowledge processes. This has arguably resulted in KM theorizing being fragmented or disintegrated. Whilst it is evident that organisational culture affects persons’ behaviour in the organisation, the impact of persons’ values and beliefs on knowledge processes as a whole remain understudied. This study provides a model of KC. Moreover, the paper offers a novel systematic approach to developing conceptual and theoretical models.

Exploiting organisational vulnerabilities as dark knowledge: conceptual development from organisational fraud cases

Purpose

This paper aims to assert that knowledge of organisational weaknesses, vulnerabilities and compromise points (here termed “dark knowledge”), is just as critical to organisational integrity and hence, must also be managed in a conventional knowledge management sense. However, such dark knowledge is typically difficult to identify and accordingly, few studies have attempted to conceptualise this view.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a background of fraud diamond theory, the authors examine this dark knowledge using a case study analysis of fraud at a large Asia-Pacific telecommunications provider. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with the firm’s fraud unit.

Findings

The authors identify six components of dark knowledge, being artefactual knowledge, consequential knowledge, knowledge of opportunity, knowledge of experimentality, knowledge of identity and action and knowledge of alternativity.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to identify a knowledge type based on organisational compromises and vulnerabilities. The paper shows that accounts of organisational weakness can yet provide knowledge insights.

Knowledge sharing in times of a pandemic: An intergenerational learning approach

Knowledge sharing is a key challenge for modern organizations, especially in periods of uncertainty such as that of the current pandemic. This conceptual paper argues that intergenerational learning (IGL) is a useful intervention to address the challenge of knowledge sharing in the New Ways of Working. We conducted an integrated literature review based on the PRISMA methodology. Our findings reveal the limited adoption of reverse mentoring in practice, indicating the need to have a more curated intervention to promote knowledge sharing in modern organizations. We advance the discourse about reverse mentoring with the aim of overcoming its challenges and presenting a self‐driven approach to sharing the tacit knowledge inherent in an organization. The study contributes by presenting a conceptual model of IGL that promotes knowledge sharing during the COVID‐19 pandemic through the leveraging of the multi‐generational workforce's diversity. Further, the study has implications for practice that can aid effective knowledge management in the current times.

INNOVATION CAPABILITY AND OPEN INNOVATION AND ITS IMPACT ON PERFORMANCE IN SMES: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY IN CHILE

The objective of this research is to analyse how risk-taking, commitment to learning, and innovation capability — in SMEs — can favour inbound and outbound open innovation practices, and if open innovation practices help their performance. To test the hypotheses simultaneously, partial least squares analysis (PLS-SEM) was used along with the empirical data obtained from 194 interviews with Chilean’s executives of manufacturing SMEs between 10 and 250 employees. The results obtained show that commitment to learning and risk-taking have a positive effect on innovation capability. Our study has shown how innovation capability has a significant and positive influence on inbound and outbound practices. In the field of performance, our research has verified that inbound practices have a positive influence on the performance of the SME. Finally, it shows managers the way to select open innovation practices that most benefit the strategic objectives of the SME.

Withholding effort in sharing knowledge in online space: differential effects of task characteristics

Purpose

Knowledge withholding is an important but under-studied topic, which refers to the phenomenon that individuals give less than full effort to contributing knowledge. This study aims to investigate the differential effects of task characteristics on individuals’ knowledge withholding behavior in online space, this study develops and empirically verifies a theoretical model that covers the five core task characteristics in job characteristics model (autonomy, identity, feedback, skill variety and significance), knowledge sharing self-inefficacy and withholding effort in sharing knowledge.

Design/methodology/approach

Using an online survey method, this study collected empirical data from 351 general internet users from 30 provincial administrative units in China. The data were analyzed using the structural equation modeling technique of partial least squares.

Findings

The analysis results indicate that autonomy negatively affects, while identity, skill variety and significance positively affect users’ knowledge withholding behavior in online space through the mediation of knowledge sharing self-inefficacy, and that three task characteristics (autonomy, identity and feedback) strengthen the relationship between knowledge sharing self-inefficacy and knowledge withholding.

Practical implications

This study provides valuable insights for reducing knowledge withholding behavior in online space. Operationally, different levels of task characteristics such as autonomy, identity and feedback can be set to prevent users from perceiving themselves as inefficacious, and to weaken the behavioral expression of knowledge sharing self-inefficacy.

Originality/value

This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the differential effects of task characteristics on knowledge withholding in online space, and improves the cognition of the boundaries of withholding effort in sharing knowledge in online space.

Knowledge sabotage as an extreme form of counterproductive knowledge behavior: the perspective of the target

Purpose

This study aims to explore the existence of knowledge sabotage in the contemporary organization from the perspective of the target.

Design/methodology/approach

This study collected and analyzed 172 critical incidents reported by 109 employees who were targets of knowledge sabotage in their organizations.

Findings

Over 50 per cent of employees experienced at least one knowledge sabotage incident. Knowledge sabotage is driven by three factors, namely, gratification, retaliation against other employees and one’s malevolent personality. Knowledge saboteurs are more likely to provide intangible than tangible knowledge. Knowledge sabotage results in extremely negative consequences for individuals, organizations and third parties. Organizations often indirectly facilitate knowledge sabotage among their employees. Both knowledge saboteurs and their targets believe in their innocence – saboteurs are certain that their action was a necessary response to targets’ inappropriate workplace behavior, whereas targets insist on their innocence and hold saboteurs solely responsible.

Practical implications

Organizations should recruit employees with compatible personalities and working styles, introduce inter-employee conflict prevention and resolution procedures, develop anti-knowledge sabotage policies, clearly articulate the individual and organizational consequences of knowledge sabotage and eliminate zero-sum game-based incentives and rewards.

Originality/value

This is the first study documenting knowledge sabotage from the target’s perspective.