KNOWLEDGE AND SECURITY

While knowledge may be a key organizational resource, it will only provide sustainable competitive advantage if it is protected. Understanding of security has expanded to include collaborating with competitors and virtual relationships, resulting in complex interactions and risks. Individuals form ties with peers and others to collaborate and create knowledge. However, collaboration can, if not managed and controlled effectively become a threat to security. Organizations with the ability to protect valuable knowledge have many incentives to do so. This research investigates the interactions of security and knowledge to develop a model to research success and failure factors. Knowledge creation depends on sharing and protection, but these interact, as a secure environment is necessary to create knowledge but knowledge of security is necessary in the provision of a secure environment. Examples from an on-going case illustrate use of the model.