The effect of organizational memory on organizational agility: Testing the role of counter-knowledge and knowledge application

Purpose: Intellectual capital includes what employees know, and the agility to search and retrieve knowledge (organizational agility). Organizational agility could be seen as the result of using validated routines and protocols (knowledge application), but also as the result of using unproven theories, rumours, colloquial expressions or sayings (counterknowledge), which means that organizational memory may enable both the application of good knowledge and the mitigation of counter-knowledge. This study examines the links between a firm’s organizational memory, counter-knowledge, knowledge application, and organizational agility. Design/ Methodology/ Approach: Using SmartPLS 3.2.8 in a sample of 112 companies the following questions were addressed: Does the improvement of organizational memory result in the growth of organizational agility? Does the growth of counter-knowledge and knowledge application at the same time hinder the enhancement of organizational agility? Findings: The results support that organizational memory not only enhances the application of gained knowledge, but also allows the spreading of rumours, gossip, and inappropriate or false beliefs (counter-knowledge). Furthermore, results support that the knowledge that emerges from the development in parallel or simultaneous of counterknowledge and knowledge application provides bad references, which will lead to a degradation of organizational agility. Practical implications: When supporting organizational agility, managers should be conscious of the urgency of counteracting the misuse of counter-knowledge. Originality/ Value: These findings make an important contribution to what is potentially a barrier to innovation and creativity, helping managers overcome the problems associated with misunderstandings or wrong assumptions derived from counterknowledge

Managing counter-knowledge in the context of a pandemic:challenges for scientific institutions and policy makers

Counter-knowledge comes from unverified sources of information such as hoaxes, rumours or partial lies. It creates an atmosphere of lack of trust that often leads individuals into making risky decisions. In contexts of high uncertainty, the flow of counter-knowledge is likely to increase. Although scientists and scientific institutions can provide knowledge based on evidence and verifiable facts, they may find it difficult to react to the proliferation of counter-knowledge which affects their own credibility. This paper adopts concepts derived from the knowledge management field to shed light on this problem. Examples from the recent history of Italy are discussed. Useful lessons for the public and policymakers are derived. These lessons become particularly relevant in the context of a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, as the world experiences a combination of factors that provide a fertile ground for the emergence of both scientific knowledge and social counter-knowledge

Mapa de las capacidades de investigación en materia de desinformación en las universidades y centros de investigación españoles

Con autorización de la editorial para este capítuloPeer reviewe

Linking social networks to utilitarian benefits through counter-knowledge

Social networking sites (SNS) enable users to create their own public profiles within a web site. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of people spreading misleading information or rumours (i.e. counter-knowledge) about friends and other people thanks to social media platforms. The purpose of this paper is to identify the role played by social networks in the process of creating counter-knowledge, focusing on the counter-knowledge that users develop in the context of SNS and its effect on utilitarian benefits.The data for this research were derived from a research programme supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education (REF: ECO2011-28641-C02-02) and the R & D Project for Excellence, Andalusian Ministry of Education (REF: SEJ-6081)