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.
Susanne Durst is a Full Professor at the Institute for Knowledge and Innovation Southeast Asia (IKI-SEA) at Bangkok University and a Visiting Professor at the Department of Business and Economics, Reykjavik University. Her research interests include knowledge (risk) management, innovation management, responsible digitalization and sustainable business development in the context of small entrepreneurial companies. She has been conducting several national and international research projects on knowledge management, SME business transfers, marketing, corporate governance, and innovation management. Her work has been published widely in international peer-reviewed journals and recognized through various awards, including the Transeo Academic Award in 2012 and the Emerald Literati Award “Outstanding Paper” in 2020 and 2023. Prof. Durst is the Editor-in-Chief of the Bottom Line and an Editor of Knowledge Management Research and Practice. Before joining academia, she worked with private enterprises of different sizes and industries.
Talshyn Tokyzhanova is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute for Knowledge and Innovation Southeast Asia (IKI-SEA) at Bangkok University. Her research interests include knowledge management, workplace knowledge behaviours, and the use of generative AI at work. She received her PhD in Business Administration from Tallinn University of Technology in 2025. Her work has been published in leading international knowledge management journals and focuses on how employees manage, share, and hide knowledge at work.