A Capability Model for Knowledge Protection

Literature on knowledge protection strongly focuses on the application of measures, widely neglecting the abilities of individual firms. A capability view on firms could help to answer the question of how well they can utilize different measures for protecting knowledge. Drawing on the resource-based view, this paper proposes the concept of protection capabilities and discusses how they could help firms to protect knowledge. Protection capabilities are conceptualized as a capability model that mirrors the identification, assimilation, and application capabilities as defined in the model of absorptive capacity. As a result, firms need to develop three types of capabilities: (1) concealment to protect their resources, (2) ambiguity to protect their capabilities and (3) enforcement to protect their business strategies. This paper discusses how each capability type reduces the risk of external organizations absorbing knowledge, and gives examples of what role IT plays in building each of the capability types

A Capability Model for Knowledge Protection

Abstract. Literature on knowledge protection strongly focuses on the application of measures, widely neglecting the abilities of individual firms. A capability view on firms could help to answer the question of how well they can utilize different measures for protecting knowledge. Drawing on the resource-based view, this paper proposes the concept of protection capabilities and discusses how they could help firms to protect knowledge. Protection capabilities are conceptualized as a capability model that mirrors the identification, assimilation, and application capabilities as defined in the model of absorptive capacity. As a result, firms need to develop three types of capabilities: (1) concealment to protect their resources, (2) ambiguity to protect their capabilities and (3) enforcement to protect their business strategies. This paper discusses how each capability type reduces the risk of external organizations absorbing knowledge, and gives examples of what role IT plays in building each of the capability types. Keywords: knowledge protection, capabilities, resource-based view, absorptive capacity, knowledge-based view Introduction Literature on knowledge protection strongly focuses on the application of formal and informal measures [1-3] mainly addressing the question of how effective can different protection measures be applied. Characteristics like firm siz

The Ends of Knowledge Sharing in Networks: Using Information Technology to Start Knowledge Protection

Organisations need networks to leverage external knowledge, particularly for SMEs with their limited resources. Organisations use networks for knowledge sharing to foster innovation. This use of networks bears risks like the unwanted spill-over of knowledge. Consequently, organisa-tions need to balance sharing and protecting knowledge. While scholars have extensively inves-tigated the sharing perspective, they have so far neglected knowledge protection in network set-tings and especially the interplay between sharing and protection. This paper illuminates the motives and practices of network members switching from open sharing to stronger protection on the basis of 53 interviews with members from 10 SME networks. We describe three patterns of switching behaviour and explain how the interviewees adapt the use of collaborative IT to manage the switches. Employees switch from sharing to being open to (a) a certain extent, (b) a certain group, or (c) a certain topic. We find that the three types of switching behaviour are re-lated to network characteristics and to corresponding adaptions in using collaborative IT. Col-laborative IT does not necessarily hamper knowledge protection, but adapted use can support both knowledge sharing and knowledge protection. We argue that organisations should develop protection capabilities to manage the switches