Exploring the concept of “knowledge sabotage”

Abstract

The purpose of this short paper is to build theory and to stimulate further research on knowledge sabotage, the most extreme counterproductive behavior that hinders knowledge sharing. Following a comprehensive analysis of the literature, we identified nine original conceptual propositions which shape an innovative framework of individual-, group- and organizational-level factors. The proposed framework offers the key factors that are relevant for a better conceptualization of knowledge sabotage, thus representing a fertile ground for new empirical studies. Since the recent formalization of the "sabotage" of knowledge, this paper is the first that presents such influencing factors thus opening the way for a better understanding of the dynamics that inhibit knowledge sharing.