Knowledge withholding: psychological hindrance to the innovation diffusion within an organisation

Abstract

The transfer of innovation between organisational members has recently drawn attention from both academia and business because corporate competitiveness is linked directly to the diffusion of innovation through an organisation. As the spread of innovation within an organisation depends on the efficient transfer of knowledge between members, this study focuses on the concept of knowledge withholding, which is known to disrupt this transfer. First, Herzberg’s two-factor theory is used to prove that knowledge sharing and withholding are separate concepts and to explain the difference between them. Second, past studies on knowledge management are shown to have overlooked knowledge withholding in favour of knowledge sharing, leading to a paucity of information on the former. Third, knowledge withholding is classified into two separate behaviours: the intentional hiding and the unintentional hoarding of knowledge. Finally, four territorial behaviours related to knowledge withholding are summarised in order to suggest areas of future study.

Keywords:

• knowledge withholding
• knowledge sharing
• knowledge transfer
• knowledge management practice
• innovation
• Herzberg’s two-factor theory

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Seung-Wan Kang

About the Author

Seung-Wan Kang is an assistant professor in the Department of Business Administration, College of Business and Economics at Korea University in Sejong City, Republic of Korea. He received his Ph.D. in management, M.B.A., and bachelor’s degree in business administration from Yonsei University. He worked as a business professional in Sun Microsystems and SK Telecom for 15 years prior to joining Korea University. His research interests are concerned with knowledge management, ethical leadership, organizational behaviors, and human resources management.