Preventing organizational knowledge leakage: the influence of knowledge seekers’ awareness, motivation and capability

Purpose This study aims to investigate how a knowledge-seeking organization’s awareness of valuable knowledge, and the motivation and capability to acquire the knowledge, influence attempts to acquire the knowledge. This study also aims to identify how knowledge-possessing organizations recognize the possibility of and craft strategies to prevent this knowledge leakage. Design/methodology/approach A process model is created and an empirical examination is performed to help knowledge-possessing organizations understand and identify situations where potential knowledge-seeking organizations will attempt to acquire valuable knowledge. Findings Knowledge-seeking organizations must be aware of valuable knowledge, and have the motivation and capability to acquire it in order to attempt to acquire the knowledge. Accordingly, knowledge-possessing organizations can inhibit awareness, motivation and capability of potential knowledge-seeking organizations to stave off and degrade knowledge acquisition attempts. Research limitations/implications Employment of the awareness, motivation and capability framework provides a comprehensive approach for researchers to hypothesize and empirically examine the factors most relevant to knowledge leakage. This approach expands the literature on absorptive capacity by increasing emphasis on awareness and motivation with regard to knowledge acquisition. Practical implications Employment of the awareness, motivation and capability framework provides managers with the means to comprehensively assess the likelihood that other organizations will attempt to acquire their knowledge. It also helps managers determine efficient and effective ways to inhibit knowledge leakage. Originality/value The authors pioneer the application of the awareness, motivation and capability framework to knowledge leakage. The authors subsequently propose a process model and empirically examine the relationships pertaining to knowledge leakage and its prevention.

Creating a Region

This chapter begins with China’s ambitious effort to create an entirely new regional grouping: the China–CEEC (Central and Eastern European Countries) Partnership, or “16+1.” Despite the paucity of China’s economic presence, its fragile diplomatic ties in the region, and flimsy regional coherence, 16+1 proved largely successful. The second case, examining Beijing’s investment promotion efforts, demonstrates Beijing’s capacity for learning and adaptation. The third case explores Beijing’s creative response to CEEC trade deficits, including its strategic provision of export certifications and encouragement for Chinese agricultural firms to invest in CEE countries while expanding their exports to China. The final case assesses China’s bilateral influence attempts: targeting key CEE states by providing economic benefits. Across these four cases, Beijing’s orchestration approach proved largely effective, rapidly mobilizing broad participation with high implementation coherence at low cost.

Expanding a single-institution survey to multiple institutions: Lessons learned in research design and deployment

Objective: Creating generalizable knowledge across institutions is a step beyond a successful local research project. The purpose of this article is to share the process and lessons learned from expanding a survey tool developed and piloted at a single veterinary college to its deployment at multiple veterinary colleges in the United States and Canada. Population or problem: Little guidance exists on expanding a survey developed for a single institution to distribution to health professions students across multiple institutions. Methods: In June 2016, the first author of the survey contacted librarians from veterinary colleges to explore a possible multi-institution study to investigate student behaviors and perceptions around scientific information. Librarians from twenty-nine institutions initially expressed interest. Those at fifteen institutions participated in initial planning, and eight elected to distribute the survey. Of these, seven submitted for IRB review at their own institution and one institution facilitated the distribution of the survey under the original institution’s IRB exemption. Findings: The IRB submission process and requirements varied by participating institution. Mean time from submission to approval was 10 days (range: 2-31 days). Several changes were made to the survey based on the recommendations of participating librarians, ranging from simplifying the method of survey distribution to modifying specific questions to make them meaningful across institutions. As participating institutions did not have synchronized academic calendars, the survey distribution took a staggered approach between institutions based on IRB review and varying institutional processes. Conclusions: Expanding even a simple IRB-exempt survey from one institution to others requires careful consideration of local practices, attention to differences in the IRB process, and ethical considerations for recruiting students where librarians serve as instructors or hold other positions of influence. Attempts to standardize recruitment messaging and survey questions for generalizable results required compromise by the librarian researchers at participating institutions.

Compliance and Social Psychology

It is through the influence process that people generate and manage change. As such, it is important to understand fully the workings of the influence processes that produce compliance with requests for change. Fortunately, a vast body of scientific evidence exists on how, when, and why people comply with influence attempts. From this formidable body of work, one can extract six universal principles of influence that generate compliance in the widest range of circumstances. Reciprocation states that people are more willing to comply with requests (for favors, services, information, concessions, etc.) from those who have provided such things first. Commitment/Consistency states that people are more willing to be moved in a particular direction if they see it as consistent with an existing commitment. Authority states that people are more willing to follow the directions or recommendations of a communicator to whom they attribute relevant expertise. Social Proof states that people are more willing to take a recommended action if they see evidence that many others, especially similar others, are taking it. Scarcity states that people find objects and opportunities more attractive to the degree that they are scarce, rare, or dwindling in availability. Finally, Liking states that people prefer to say yes to those they like, such as those who are similar to them and who have complimented them.

Leapfrogging at work: influencing higher levels in the chain of command

PurposeActs of interpersonal influence are observed throughout organizations, and most typically, in direct supervisor–subordinate relationships. However, researchers have focused less on subordinates bypassing the chain of command and targeting their supervisor's supervisor with influence attempts. We conceptualize a new term, “leapfrogging,” as subordinates' attempts to influence and manage the impressions of their supervisor's supervisor. Here we focus on influencing the target's perception of likability (the focus of ingratiation) and competence (the focus of self-promotion). This study focuses on its personal and situational antecedents.Design/methodology/approachGiven the central role of social exchange and psychological processes within this phenomenon, we build on a social exchange and a social cognition approach. Using a sample of 131 university support personnel service employees, hierarchical regression is used to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe following antecedents of leapfrogging are hypothesized and tested: the subordinate personal characteristics of Machiavellianism, need for achievement, and fear of negative evaluation, and the situational/relational characteristic of leader–member exchange (LMX). Of these potential antecedents, subordinate Machiavellianism and LMX were the strongest predictors, and subordinates' need for achievement and fear of negative evaluation were moderate predictors.Practical implicationsLeapfrogging occurs when actors are frustrated with their current situation and desire change. However, influence tactics aimed at a subordinate's supervisor's supervisor may further strain a low-quality leader–subordinate relationship. As actors become increasingly dissatisfied and leave, this may result in increased organizational costs related to the loss of experienced employees and the hiring and training of new ones.Originality/valueMost upward influence research has largely ignored subordinate influence attempts that go outside of the normal chain of command and target their boss's boss. The present study addresses this gap in the literature by examining leapfrog behaviors. Although acknowledged in a limited manner as a legitimate organizational behavior, this topic has received virtually no empirical attention.

The Nucleus and the Periodic Table: Radioactivity, Atomic Number, and Isotopy

Theories of the atom were reintroduced into science by John Dalton and were taken up and debated by chemists in the nineteenth century. As noted in preceding chapters, atomic weights and equivalent weights were determined and began to influence attempts to classify the elements. Many physicists were at first reluctant to accept the notion of atoms, with the tragic exception of Ludwig Boltzmann, who came under such harsh criticism for his support of atomism that he eventually took his own life. But around the turn of the twentieth century, the tide began to turn, and physicists not only adopted the atom but transformed the whole of science by performing numerous experiments aimed at probing its structure. Their work had a profound influence on chemistry and, more specifically for our interests here, the explanation and presentation of the periodic table. Beginning with J.J. Thomson’s discovery of the electron in 1897, developments came quickly. In 1911, Ernest Rutherford proposed the nuclear structure of the atom, and by 1920 he had named the proton and the neutron. All of this work was made possible by the discovery of X-rays in 1895, which allowed physicists to probe the atom, and by the discovery of radioactivity in 1896. The phenomenon of radioactivity destroyed the ancient concept of the immutability of the atom once and for all and demonstrated that one element could be transformed into another, thus in a sense achieving the goal that the alchemists had sought in vain. The discovery of radioactivity led to the eventual realization that the atom, which took its name from the idea that it was indivisible, could in fact be subdivided into more basic particles: the proton, neutron, and electron. Rutherford was the first to try to “split the atom,” something he achieved by using one of the newly discovered products of radioactive decay, the alpha particle.

Geoeconomic Leverage of Natural Gas Resources in the Mediterranean

This article examines the claim that Israel’s natural gas exports from its Mediterranean gas fields will give geopolitical leverage to Tel Aviv over the importing countries. Using the geoeconomic tradition of Klaus Knorr and others who wrote about applying leverage using economic resources to gain geopolitical advantage, it is argued that certain criteria have to be satisfied for economic influence attempts, and that Israel’s gas exports do not satisfy these criteria. They include the importer’s supply vulnerability, the supplier’s demand vulnerability, and the salience of energy as an issue between both countries. Israeli gas exports to Egypt are used as a case study.

Employees’ perceptions of their manager’s authentic leadership

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test whether managers’ political skill is relevant for employees’ authentic leadership perceptions. Political influence theory assumes that political tactics seek to affect others’ interpretations of a person or situation. Thus, what matters for employees’ perceptions of their manager’s authentic leadership may be whether the manager actively seeks to show behavior that can be interpreted as authentic leadership. Combining political influence theory and gender stereotypes research, it is further suggested that manager gender moderates the employees’ interpretation of political influence attempts that are ambiguous. Design/methodology/approach Managers (n=156; 49.5 percent female) completed measures of their political skill. Employees (n=427; 39.1 percent female) completed measures of the manager’s authentic leadership. Findings Managers’ apparent sincerity was positively related to employees’ perceptions of managers’ authentic leadership; managers’ networking ability was negatively related to employees’ perceptions of female managers’ authentic leadership, but not of male managers. Research limitations/implications The methodology does not allow claims about causality. Originality/value Findings add knowledge of authentic leadership, such as difficulties that female managers face, and show the value of a fine-grained approach to political skill. Female managers should be aware that networking might have disadvantageous side effects. Conversely, sincere behavior attempts seem favorable for authentic leadership perceptions.

Defeating the Toxic Boss: The Nature of Toxic Leadership and the Role of Followers

Drawing on the findings from a multiple case study, we build a process model of toxic leadership and empirically illustrate the toxic leadership process and its outcomes. In doing so, we make two important contributions to current literature. First, we provide a theoretical model of the toxic leadership process that details the intent and outcomes of toxic leadership relative to other dark leadership styles: destructive, abusive, and ineffective. In doing so, we show that, although the intent of toxic leaders is relatively less harmful, the behaviors these leaders engage may be harmful for the organization. More specifically, we show that the primary intent of toxic leaders is to conceal lack of relevant competence and maintain a position of control, at the exclusion of other organizationally relevant objectives. To achieve their intent, toxic leaders engage in upward and downward directed influence attempts that create ambiguity and confusion, thus increasing the toxicity of the context and interfering with others’ ability to perform their work. Second, our findings suggest that followers are more agentic than previously suggested. We show that followers not only choose to unfollow their leaders but also actively work to neutralize the influence of toxic leaders through workarounds and learning. Followers have largely been neglected by the extant leadership literature, and thus, the agency they often display in leadership processes has been insufficiently examined.

Cultural Persuadables

Cultural persuadables refers to a perspective on persuasion that focuses on the power of membership in a cultural group to influence the actions of individuals. The nature and boundaries of cultural groups fall within the intellectual tradition of the ethnography of communication, in which group membership is a matter of understanding and having available for use the resources of distinctive codes of meaning that pertain to that group. Three forms of observable resources for persuasion exist within cultural codes. First, in every culture there is a range of actions that people may be persuaded to do. Outside of that range are (a) actions that no amount of persuasion, as distinct from coercion, would be effective, and (b) actions that are so fully prescribed and expected within the culture that no persuasive attempt would be understood as sensible. The range of persuadable action is thus the range of what people may be persuaded. Knowing how to frame persuasive attempts to fall within that range is one resource for persuasion. Second, among the many patterned forms of speaking that compose cultural codes there are some that are particularly functional for persuasive attempts because of their ability to encode the norms, premises, and symbolic meanings of the group of people. Examples of these forms are native terms for kinds of persuasive talk, accounts, gossip, and relationship-specific systems of meaning (relational codes). To know how to formulate and deploy these forms in both public and private contexts is to know with what members of the group may be persuaded. Finally, the strategies and tactics observed in overt persuasive attempts themselves constitute the how of persuasion within a given culture. The cultural persuadables perspective emphasizes the sociopragmatic aspects of influence attempts—sequential organization of talk, facework, impression management and the cultural elements described above—over the traditional psychological phenomena used to explain persuasion such as attitudes, emotions, cognition, and personality. Cultural persuadables applies to interpersonal processes of social influence as well as public forms of persuasion, otherwise considered to fall within the realm of rhetoric.