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research borough (UTSC) in Ontario; Jane Webster, professor of management information systems at the Queen's School of Business of Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario; and John Trougakos, assistant professor of organiza- tional behavior at UTSC. The authors based their findings on surveys of and interviews with employees in sectors such as finance, manufacturing, and education. They found that, when asked to share information, many employees typically hide what they know in three ways: They evade the request, they rationalize the need to hide information, or they simply "play dumb." Zweig cites two reasons employees keep quiet about what they know: dis- trust of fellow employees and manag- ers and a poorly designed knowledge- sharing climate within the company. Companies that invest in new systems and knowledge-sharing software may find they've wasted their money if they haven't also addressed those two issues, says Zweig. Catherine Connelly Why Workers Hide Knowledge RESEARCH HAS SHOWN that when employees share information, companies are better equipped to identify and act on innovations. But companies might be facing unexpected obstacles: the employees themselves. A new study finds that some employees engage in "knowledge hiding"—the withholding of knowledge even after it has been specifically requested. The study was co-authored by Catherine Connelly, associate professor of human resources and management at McMaster University's DeGroote School of Business in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; David Zweig, professor of organizational behavior and human resources man- agement at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management and the University of Toronto at Scar- 60 September/October 2011 BizEd The authors suggest that companies first focus on encouraging employees to rely less on e-mails and more on face-to-face interaction. Next, they recommend that managers publicly praise examples of trustworthiness and knowledge sharing. They also suggest that companies avoid policies that pit employees against each other— for example, by offering so-called "betrayal" incentives that reward sales- people who poach each other's clients. At best, knowledge hiding can result in lost productivity and profits; at worst, the costs can be even greater, says Connelly. "There are contexts in which knowledge hiding has the potential to be particularly harmful, such as healthcare," she says. She and her co-authors note that future research might aim to quantify the effects knowledge hiding has on the long-term performance of individuals and organizations. David Zweig Jane Webster "Knowledge Hiding in Organizations" is avail- able for purchase online at onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ doi/10.1002/job.737/pdf.