The purpose of this paper is to introduce a model to manage knowledge security risks in organizations. Knowledge security risk management is a sensemaking process that should be carried out by managers, and the proposed model works as a tool for the sensemaking process. The model is illustrated with an analytical case example. The process model helps to identify knowledge security risks and provides a comprehensive approach to evaluating and balancing the costs and benefits of knowledge sharing and knowledge risk management. The paper addresses calls for research on the emerging topic of knowledge security and the important topic of new knowledge sharing tools from the combined perspectives of business benefits and risk management. The results presented in this paper are preliminary and conceptual, and further research on the topic is suggested. The process model proposed in this paper can be a valuable tool for practitioners aiming to develop knowledge sharing practices in companies, and at the same time need to consider the security of knowledge.
In a knowledge-based economy, knowledge has become the most important source for competitive advantage. Thus, organizations spend more attention on the protection of knowledge and also research on knowledge protection has gained increasing attention in the past years. However, knowledge protection research mainly focuses on the design of preventive measures and little is published about real incidents or reactive measures. Learning from failure and from incidents is important to improve current practice. This paper reflects on four cases of real knowledge risk incidents. We discuss ways to prevent or delay knowledge spillovers and the importance of knowing the threats in order to prevent them. In addition to preventive measures, we highlight that companies need to have reactive measures in place. Finally, based on our insights we discuss why analyzing incidents in addition to identified threats is important for practice as well as academia.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.