Existing research on technology transfer to developing countries has focused predominantly on formal intellectual property regimes, leaving informal appropriability conditions underexplored. Focusing on private-sector engagement in development assistance, we examine how opportunistic intentions among developed-country firms shape the quantity and quality of technology transfers, incorporating second-order knowledge leakage & horbar;whereby transferred knowledge diffuses to unintended third-party firms through recipient networks & horbar;as a novel mechanism. Using an agent-based simulation grounded in the SKIN model, we identify a systematic quantity-quality trade-off: higher opportunistic intention increases partnership formation but reduces tacit knowledge transfer quality. This dynamic is intensified among firms with strong endowment effects, which exhibit sharp trust reductions following leakage events and consequently limit knowledge sharing. Strengthening informal appropriability mechanisms consistently improves tacit knowledge transfer quality, though its effect on partnership formation varies with firms' opportunistic orientation. These findings extend appropriability theory and carry implications for governance mechanisms promoting effective private-led development assistance.
This study investigates the extent to which Indigenous Knowledge (IK) can be captured, processed, curated, managed, and disseminated through Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-enabled Knowledge Management (KM) practices in Zimbabwe. Guided by Nonaka's SECI Knowledge Management model, the research employed a qualitative design comprising a literature review and 21 in-depth interviews. While prior studies explored ICT use in local communities, they largely overlooked KM strategies for Indigenous Knowledge Management (IKM), a gap this study addresses. Findings indicate that ICTs can effectively support the collection, preservation, curation, and intergenerational dissemination of IK when applied within ethically governed, community-driven frameworks grounded in vernacularisa-tion. The study further demonstrates that ICT-enabled IKM systems can ensure the long-term conservation and continuity of Indigenous knowledge. Methodologically, the research con-tributes by integrating naturalistic inquiry and thematic analysis to examine IK systems within their sociocultural contexts.
Public sector organizations are facing increasing pressure to embed sustainability into their strategies, processes, and everyday management, yet research has only begun to explore how knowledge management supports this institutionalization process. This study addresses this gap by examining how senior local government managers understand sustainability as a managerial concern and how they access, interpret, and use sustainability-related knowledge. Drawing on 25 semi-structured interviews with branch and financial directors from Finnish municipalities, and informed by the knowledge-based view and institutional work, the study identifies four arenas - strategy, reporting, capability building, and everyday management practices - in which KM supports the technical, political, and cultural work of institutionalizing sustainability. The findings show how KM enables public officials to interpret sustainability, adapt it to organizational priorities, integrate diverse information streams, and stabilize sustainability through routines, skills, and decision-making practices across administrative domains. The proposed framework contributes to public sector KM theory by conceptualizing KM as a governance mechanism that supports the technical, political, and cultural work of institutionalizing sustainability. Practically, the study highlights how knowledge infrastructures, learning practices, and cross-sectoral collaboration can strengthen the capacity of local governments to advance sustainability in adaptive and integrated ways.
This concept paper aims to identify, describe, and analyze potential situations or circumstances in which organizations may face positive and negative risks related to knowledge due to a variety of internal and external circumstances. Given recent technological, societal and geopolitical developments and their resulting implications, this important but under-researched area deserves more attention. This paper should be understood as a follow-up to the 2019 study by Durst and Zieba, which proposed a Knowledge Risk Taxonomy. The revised and further developed taxonomy risk offers promising approaches not only for research but also for business practice.
Information technology organisations increasingly rely on culturally diverse talent to sustain innovation, yet the mechanisms linking diversity to innovative work behaviour remain unclear. This study investigates the influence of cultural intelligence on innovative work behaviour among information technology professionals, considering the mediating roles of psychological safety, knowledge sharing behaviour, and organisational climate for diversity. Data from 620 employees in the Indian information technology sector were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences to test the hypothesised relationships. The findings show that cultural intelligence directly influences innovative work behaviour and indirectly affects it through knowledge sharing behaviour and organisational climate for diversity. Psychological safety showed no direct effect on innovative work behaviour but influenced it indirectly through knowledge sharing behaviour, indicating full mediation. Additionally, a significant sequential serial mediation was observed where cultural intelligence enhances psychological safety, which promotes knowledge sharing behaviour, leading to innovative work behaviour. The study contributes to the literature by introducing organisational climate for diversity as a novel mediator and offers practical insights for creating inclusive and collaborative workplaces that enhance innovation. The findings also support the Sustainable Development Goals related to decent work, economic growth, and industry innovation.
