Understanding Knowledge Hiding

The business environment has changed dramatically in recent years, presenting companies with entirely new challenges. Organizational knowledge remains the most valuable production factor in knowledge-based/digital societies. To manage the multitude of challenges that require simultaneous attention, a solid understanding of knowledge and its management is essential. The field of knowledge management emphasizes the importance of knowledge sharing, which is crucial for the development of individuals and organizations. Following this logic, knowledge hiding is negative, and organizations should develop and implement measures to reduce the danger of knowledge hiding. However, given the importance of knowledge for organizations, a more in-depth discussion and examination of the topic of knowledge hiding is needed, and thus of this book.

This book covers knowledge hiding and related terminology and concepts and progresses systematically from conceptual foundations and an analysis of various perspectives to applications and implications. The authors consider the perspectives of those who hide knowledge, those seeking it, and the organization itself, while challenging the assumption that knowledge hiding is inherently detrimental to organizations. Instead, the authors highlight how knowledge hiding can entail varying meanings and consequences depending on context, relational dynamics, and cultural factors, thereby fostering a deeper understanding of the phenomenon.