Access to knowledge providers is key to getting ahead. But can people keep their knowledge providers secret from structurally equivalent rivals, i.e., those coworkers they perceive as connected to many of the same knowledge providers as themselves? And to what extent can people detect knowledge ties of their perceived rivals? Bringing together research on rivalry and network cognition, we provide a new approach to the strategic deployment of deception and detection in social networks. We conducted two experiments that showed that structural equivalence induces feelings of rivalry that, in turn, lead people to engage in hiding and seeking relative to structurally equivalent rivals. A third, field study, used time-separated data from all 73 employees in the HQ of a chemical company. Our analyses supported both the idea that people hid their knowledge sharing ties from colleagues they perceived to be structurally equivalent rivals, and that people sought to detect these rivals’ ties. Success in seeking ties of rivals and hiding ties from rivals translated into increased compensation. Surveillance and secrecy in the context of rivalry is surprising given the importance of knowledge sharing in organizations. Individuals who exercised vigilance with respect to knowledge sharing relationships vis-à-vis rivals achieved advantage.
About the speaker
About the speaker
Martin Kilduff (PhD Cornell, 1988) is Professor of Organizational Behavior at University College London, former editor of Academy of Management Review (2006-08) and former associate editor of Administrative Science Quarterly (2003-05, 2010-16). Prior to joining UCL he served as Diageo Professor of Management Studies at Cambridge University, and prior to that served on the faculties of University of Texas at Austin, Penn State, and Insead.
Martin’s work focuses on social networks in organizations and includes the co-authored books Social Networks and Organizations (Sage, 2003); and Interpersonal Networks in Organizations: Cognition, Personality, Dynamics and Culture (Cambridge University Press, 2008).
Martin’s most recent work includes the following three articles. The first examines the personality profiles of people who broker between cliques in organizations (Academy of Management Journal, 2018). The second examines the paradox of people who feel powerful enough to engage in brokerage activities but whose sense of power blinds them to the brokerage opportunities that are available (Journal of Applied Psychology, 2018). The third paper examines how agency has been used in organizational social networks (Academy of Management Annals, 2021).
Martin Kilduff (PhD Cornell, 1988) is Professor of Organizational Behavior at University College London, former editor of Academy of Management Review (2006-08) and former associate editor of Administrative Science Quarterly (2003-05, 2010-16). Prior to joining UCL he served as Diageo Professor of Management Studies at Cambridge University, and prior to that served on the faculties of University of Texas at Austin, Penn State, and Insead.
Martin’s work focuses on social networks in organizations and includes the co-authored books Social Networks and Organizations (Sage, 2003); and Interpersonal Networks in Organizations: Cognition, Personality, Dynamics and Culture (Cambridge University Press, 2008).
Martin’s most recent work includes the following three articles. The first examines the personality profiles of people who broker between cliques in organizations (Academy of Management Journal, 2018). The second examines the paradox of people who feel powerful enough to engage in brokerage activities but whose sense of power blinds them to the brokerage opportunities that are available (Journal of Applied Psychology, 2018). The third paper examines how agency has been used in organizational social networks (Academy of Management Annals, 2021).
