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

Host country contingencies on knowledge protection strategies of multinational firms : bring a knife to a gunfight?

International knowledge spillovers, especially through multinational companies (MNCs), have recently been a major topic of the academic and management discussion. However, most studies treat MNC subsidiaries as relatively passive actors without clear knowledge protection strategies. The goal of this study is to extend this stream of research by investigating both market-based (e.g. secrecy, lead time) as well as legal knowledge protection strategies (e.g. patents, trademarks) of MNC subsidiaries. We argue that these strategies are not independent from the opportunities and challenges of the host country. We suggest that the host country leadership status influences the choice of knowledge protection strategies along two major dimensions: geographical and industry strength of host country firms. We test our hypotheses for a broad sample of more than 1,500 firms in Germany. The results indicate that legal forms of knowledge protection are used more restrictively if the host country geographical environment is technologically leading while technological leadership of host country competitors within the industry leads to less restrictive market-based knowledge protection strategies. We develop management recommendations based on these trade-offs between reliable knowledge protection and the need for reciprocity in exchanging knowledge

Traditional Knowledge Protection Consistent With Indigenous Interests

The issue of traditional knowledge protection attracts world attention, which is also a move towards identifying indigenous works from other subjects of intellectual property. And the protection of traditional knowledge usually falls under patent law and biodiversity rights, as well as copyright law. This paper first focuses on the introduction of the TRIPS and the CBD, and then continues to explain the harmonization of the two agreements. It also attempts to discuss solution options to traditional knowledge protection consistent with indigenous interests

Protection of traditional knowledge, an incomplete victory, towards inclusion of gender considerations in traditional knowledge protection: a Zambian perspective

This thesis explores the important issue of protection of traditional knowledge from a gendered perspective. More specifically, it seeks to explore the traditional knowledge protection landscape in Zambia in the context of gender sensitivity and gender responsiveness. It further delves into the role of gender considerations in traditional knowledge protection in the achievement of Zambia's national and international development goals. The work relies on desktop research. It draws on primary and secondary sources of information to inform the analysis, provide the necessary background to ground and situate the research. This thesis argues that a gendered approach to TK protection is justified and important. Based on analysis of the prevailing traditional knowledge protection regime in Zambia, the thesis finds and contends that the current protection available is neither gender sensitive nor gender responsive. Further, the current traditional knowledge protection provided in Zambian legislation falls short in various aspects. The role of gender sensitive and gender responsive traditional knowledge protection in the achievement of Zambia's national and international development objectives as expressed in the Zambian Vision 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals is also explored in the work. This thesis suggests that Zambia's traditional knowledge protection regime must be changed to include gender considerations. It presents recommendations for change for Zambia from a legislative perspective partially based on emulating the traditional knowledge protection strategy adopted in Kenya. Gender considerations in traditional knowledge protection legislation in Zambia must be included to ensure that protection is real and effective for women. Through this work it is hoped that attention is drawn to the urgent need for decisive changes in the traditional knowledge protection regime in Zambia in the context of gender sensitivity and gender responsiveness

Opportunity Creation in Innovation Networks: Interactive Revealing Practices

Innovating in networks with partners that have diverse knowledge is challenging. The challenges stem from the fact that the commonly used knowledge protection mechanisms often are neither available nor suitable in early stage exploratory collaborations. This article focuses on how company participants in heterogeneous industry networks share private knowledge while protecting firm-specific appropriation. We go beyond the prevailing strategic choice perspectives to discuss interactive revealing practices that sustain joint opportunity creation in the fragile phase of early network formation.Center for Business, Technology and La

Factors Influencing Knowledge Protection Strategies in Small Businesses

Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are major contributors to economies. SMEs depend on upon knowledge sharing and collaboration with business partners and suppliers, which makes the protection of their knowledge (known as knowledge protection or ‘KP’) critical. KP assists an organisation to sustain competitive advantage, as well as protect organisational knowledge from leakage outside the business. However, specific KP strategies are often not considered in SMEs as the tools required are often costly and difficult for SMEs to use. This study develops a theoretical framework to identify the factors that influence the use of KP strategies by SMEs and the roles that information and communications technologies play in these strategies. The study will examine the extent that SMEs adopt KP strategies; the strategies they use to protect their knowledge, the role of ICTs in KP strategies and, most importantly, the factors that influence the adoption of KP strategies

Knowledge Protection for Digital Innovations: Integrating Six Perspectives

New ways of combining digital and physical innovations, as well as intensified inter-organizational collaborations, create new challenges to the protection of organizational knowledge. Existing research on knowledge protection is at an early stage and scattered among various research domains. This research-in-progress paper presents a plan for a structured literature review on knowledge protection, integrating the perspectives of the six base domains of knowledge, strategic, risk, intellectual property rights, innovation, and information technology security management. We define knowledge protection as a set of capabilities comprising and enforcing technical, organizational, and legal mechanisms to protect tacit and explicit knowledge necessary to generate or adopt innovations

Balancing learning and knowledge protection in university-industry collaborations

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the tension between learning and protection in university-industry relationships (UIRs) and, in particular, to identify practices that facilitate ways of coping with this tension. Methodology: The empirical work for the study is based on a qualitative comparative case analysis of six successful, long-term relationships between industrial technology firms and university research groups in Finland. Findings: The findings of the study reveal that the development of mutual trust, based on personal-level relationships, adaptation and reaching a consensus about the utilization of research results represent the key processes that enable partners to balance learning and protection, as well as lower the informational barriers within the collaboration. Research limitations: The case data have been collected from IT industry, in which the need for knowledge is changing rapidly and the need for learning is typically high. However, generalization of the results may need additional case studies including from other industrial areas. Practical implications: The results highlight a rich set of practices that can support both industrial actors and academics in improving their engagement in collaboration and to facilitate successful knowledge creation and utilization in UIRs. Originality/value: This study extends the existing literature on UIR learning by presenting organizational practices, which help UIR actors to balance learning and protection in their collaboration. Along with mutual trust and adaptation achieved in long-term personal relationships, these practices allow partners to overcome organizational barriers that result from different orientations, attitudes and incentives.fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

From Doves, Magpies and Urban Sparrows: The External Strategic Forces Driving Knowledge Protection Approaches in German SMEs

Knowledge protection serves as the means to securing valuable knowledge assets, the basis of firm strategy according to the resource-based view. Current research has not taken into account external strategic drivers. This study focuses on identifying these strategic drivers and identifies related patterns in protection approaches. I employ an explorative qualitative research design, including 9 German SMEs. The results show that firms can be categorized into 3 protection approaches. Firms set up protection like Doves, Magpies or Urban Sparrows. They are peaceful, protecting their most-valuable assets or invest in general knowledge protection, respectively. The results show that the approach depends on the external strategic drivers of an industry. Consequently, the external perspective should be included in future research. Managers can use the insights to set up knowledge protection in a focused and strategy-aligned manner