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Knowledge Protection in Firms: A Conceptual Framework and Evidence from HP Labs
Author(s) -
Elliott Karen,
Patacconi Andrea,
Swierzbinski Joseph,
Williams Julian
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
european management review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.784
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 1740-4762
pISSN - 1740-4754
DOI - 10.1111/emre.12336
Subject(s) - secrecy , trustworthiness , business , conceptual framework , conceptual model , simple (philosophy) , trade secret , knowledge management , industrial organization , computer science , internet privacy , computer security , intellectual property , sociology , philosophy , epistemology , database , operating system , social science
This paper proposes a simple framework to examine organizational methods of knowledge protection. The framework highlights a basic trade‐off between improving decision‐making and innovation through communication and mitigating security risks by imposing restrictions on communication flows. The trade‐off is mediated by factors such as the sensitivity of information, the degree to which employees can be trusted to handle sensitive information appropriately, and firms’ investments in legal protection mechanisms. Evidence from HP Labs supports the basic predictions of the model, in particular the importance of employee trustworthiness and internalized codes of behavior in promoting open communication. Our interviews also suggest a potential conflict between two of the most important appropriability mechanisms: secrecy and lead‐time advantage .