understanding and assessing the concept of knowledge leakage diane mynors and souad mohammed brunel...
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Understanding and Assessing the Concept of
Knowledge Leakage
Understanding and Assessing the Concept of Knowledge Leakage
Diane Mynors and Souad MohammedBrunel University
Kathryn Walsh and Rhoda ColesUniversity of Loughborough
Paul ChanUniversity of Northumbria
Andrew Grantham and Raphael Kaplinsky University of Brighton
Understanding and Assessing the Concept of
Knowledge Leakage
Original Aim and ObjectivesAimDeveloping the concept of knowledge leakage and providing
insights from a range of disciplines into the effect of knowledge leakage on UK productivity
Objectives• To explore if companies appreciate the significance of knowledge
leakage
• To categorise knowledge leakage as a function of firm and inter-firm activities
• To develop an outline methodology for companies to assess their knowledge leakage holistically, to understand the risks and benefits associated with the leaks
• To provide an assessment as to the potential effect of knowledge leakage on productivity
Source: Original Proposal
Understanding and Assessing the Concept of
Knowledge Leakage
The Term Knowledge Leakage
Previously reviewers had commented about the perception of
the word Leakage in the term Knowledge Leakage
Leakage has from the conception of the project been defined as:
• A flow in any direction
• Having positive, negative or neutral consequences
• For any configuration of organisation(s) and organisation
interactions
Understanding and Assessing the Concept of
Knowledge Leakage
Objective 1
To explore if companies appreciate the significance of Knowledge Leakage
• Case Studies: 2 sets of very in depth triangulated interviews completed others in progress and planned
• Questionnaires: 1000+ just sent out. Already have 30+ responses
Who have we asked:
• Scoping Studies: 8 face-to-face interviews of considerable length and company tours
Understanding and Assessing the Concept of
Knowledge Leakage
Objective 1 Contd.
To explore if companies appreciate the significance of Knowledge Leakage
• Many companies had never considered knowledge leakage and said their eyes had been opened. Examples:
Amazing response from companies
“This was very interesting and I came to the conclusion that the company can do much to absorb knowledge and improve performance, much is left to chance and managers' intuition.”
Inflow - positive
“[I have] never considered knowledge transfer in this light. We know there is knowledge leakage but to what extent it affects the business we have little knowledge.”
Outflow – negative / positive
Understanding and Assessing the Concept of
Knowledge Leakage
Objective 2
To categorise knowledge leakage as a function of firm and inter-firm activities
Forms of KL
Inter-FirmIntra-Firm
High level knowledge leakage framework
Grounded Research led to..…
Intentional
Negative
Positive
Positive
ImpactImpact
Knowledge Leakage
Negative
Unintentional
Flow in or out
Understanding and Assessing the Concept of
Knowledge Leakage
Objective 2 Contd.
To categorise knowledge leakage as a function of firm and inter-firm activities
Grounded research led to..…
•Suppliers•Competitors•Customers
•Interactions with other organisations/bodies•Human resources: people flow •IPR and Trust
Vectors/Drivers
Intentional
Negative
Positive
Positive
ImpactImpact
Knowledge Leakage
Negative
Unintentional
Flow in or out
Example: subset people ….
Understanding and Assessing the Concept of
Knowledge Leakage
Temporary workers can leave with knowledge of
firm, processes, and strategy (outflow)
Knowledge benefits
accumulate from inflow of new
people (inflow)
Temporary workers (inflow and outflow)
Transmitting important knowledge or information to external organisations
(outflow)
Gaining other people’s
knowledge (inflow)
People who come from other
organisations (inflow and outflow)
Intentional
NegativePositive
Knowledge leakage impactSource of knowledge leakage via people
inflows and outflows
PEOPLEsubset
Expertise leaving (outflow)
Knowledge benefits accumulate from
inflow of new people (inflow)
People leaving (outflow)
Disruption to work processes (e.g.
maternity leave and sickness)
Temporary and unanticipated loss of
staff (outflow)
Unintentional
Understanding and Assessing the Concept of
Knowledge Leakage
Objective 3
• To develop an outline methodology for companies to assess their knowledge leakage holistically, to understand the risks and benefits associated with the leaks
• The three level web based tool – being worked upon
• Companies will be able to compare their responses
• Initial comparative data from questionnaire responses
Working towards this objective has raised many issues which will need to be extensively investigated - a follow on project
Understanding and Assessing the Concept of
Knowledge Leakage
Objective 4
• To provide an assessment as to the potential effect of knowledge leakage on productivity
Part of productivity indicators working document
Difficult
Understanding and Assessing the Concept of
Knowledge Leakage
To Date and Beyond
• Opened a new research area
• Developed a good initial taxonomy
• A crucial web tool will be completed
• New questions/issues have arisen:
• Development of a significantly more sophisticated tool
• Decision making tools based on Knowledge Leakage (KL) risk/gain and new business models that include KL
• Development of methodologies and strategies for companies to enable KL control, even optimisation
• Initial work has shown certain issues need further research
• Importance will grow with increased global partnerships
Understanding and Assessing the Concept of
Knowledge Leakage
Progress towards Deliverables
Understanding and Assessing the Concept of
Knowledge Leakage
Dissemination 1
1. Taxonomy of Knowledge Leakage: Some Early Developments
Proceedings of the 22nd Association of Researchers in Construction Management Conference
2. The Impacts of Knowledge Leakage in Construction
Proceedings of Construction in the 21st Century: Local and Global Challenges conference.
3. Towards A Taxonomy of Knowledge Leakage:Literature and FrameworkProceedings of the British Academy of Management
4. Understanding the Concept of Knowledge Leakage through People: Scoping Study
Proceedings of the European and Mediterranean Conference on Information Systems
Accepted Conference Papers
Understanding and Assessing the Concept of
Knowledge Leakage
Dissemination 2
1. Developing the Concept of Knowledge Leakage in Relation to UK Productivity
The International Journal of Knowledge, Culture and Change Management.
2. Unearthing Key Drivers of Knowledge Leakage
International Journal of Knowledge Management Studies
Accepted Journal Papers
Understanding and Assessing the Concept of
Knowledge Leakage
The authors would like to acknowledge the UK’s
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
(EPSRC) for their financial support under grant number
EP/D505631/1.
Acknowledgement
Understanding and Assessing the Concept of
Knowledge Leakage
Org. Size Organisation Description Organisation Type
Large Engineering Design Design and Manufacturing
Medium Design Design and Manufacturing
Small Design Design and Manufacturing
Medium Bakers Food Manufacturer
Medium Metal Products and Design Design and Manufacturing
Small Telecoms Infrastructure and Service Provider
Infrastructure and Services Provider/ Systems Integration
Large Defence Equipment Systems Integration andNew Product Development
Small Medical Equipment Design and Manufacture
Manufacture andNew Product Development
Scoping Studies
Understanding and Assessing the Concept of
Knowledge Leakage
Vec
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