Can a firm find the balance between openness and secrecy? Towards a theory of an optimum level of disclosure

Farok J Contractor ()
Additional contact information
Farok J Contractor: Rutgers University

Journal of International Business Studies, 2019, vol. 50, issue 2, No 6, 274 pages

Abstract: Abstract The purpose of this article is not merely to counter assertions about technology leakage/spillovers being innocuous or benevolent, but to go further and illuminate an under-researched question: How can companies seek the optimum balance between conscious disclosure and secrecy? The article works towards a theory of optimum disclosure, by identifying possible benefits and costs of disclosure or openness. In Paradigm 1, most companies find the net benefits of disclosure/openness to be negative. In Paradigm 2, applicable to a few highly networked or open-source MNEs, there could be net benefits over a limited range and up to an optimum point.

Keywords: disclosure; knowledge leakage; knowledge spillovers; intellectual assets (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41267-018-0204-2 Abstract (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pal:jintbs:v:50:y:2019:i:2:d:10.1057_s41267-018-0204-2

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer. ... nt/journal/41267/PS2

DOI: 10.1057/s41267-018-0204-2

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of International Business Studies is currently edited by John Cantwell

More articles in Journal of International Business Studies from Palgrave Macmillan, Academy of International Business
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().