Spy versus I: Can employees trust and share knowledge under conditions of high security?
Ana M. Sariol, Joseph Simpson · Academy of Management Proceedings · 2019
Organizations’ use of security is both widespread and often overwhelmingly comprehensive. Many employees work in firms where they are required to encounter or use a wide range of security measures including: storing confidential information in repositories and vaults when not in use, not accessing secret information without at least one other person present and undergoing annual background investigations to determine reliability with confidential information. Few studies have examined the effect of such organizational security strategies on employee outcomes, especially those related to key drivers of innovation. Theories of person-environment fit and psychological safety may explain why employees trust or share knowledge under perceived conditions of higher security. We use a sample of 297 employees to examine how perceptions of organizations’ strategic use of security and the threats they face influence individuals. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.