Knowledge hiding and knowledge hoarding: Using grounded theory for conceptual development

Despite the need to bridge the knowledge gap introduced by technology, knowledge hoarding by library staff seems to affect service delivery at a state university library in Zimbabwe. The study employed a qualitative research approach in a case study design, informed by the interpretive paradigm. The target population of this study consisted of senior library management personnel and their subordinates. Maximal variation purposive sampling strategy was chosen to sample twenty-six library staff/ individuals that differ on some characteristics. Data were generated using interviews and observations. Key findings revealed that mistrust, unfair treatment, poor interpersonal relations, lack of recognition, and absence of a reward system induce knowledge hoarding and discourage library staff from sharing experiences. Furthermore, the study revealed that while librarians hoard knowledge as a security strategy for indispensability, hoarding knowledge has led to individualism and privatisation of knowledge. The study concluded that withholding of knowledge, for whatever reason, results in negative implications on the performance of new roles and service delivery. The study recommends that library staff should change from knowledge hoarding to sharing their knowledge; that the state library should implement a knowledge sharing policy; that the university library should reward knowledge sharing and recognize knowledge contributions from subordinates.

Making tourism experiences more meaningful at the local level remains a challenge. Research using grounded theory (GT) was conducted in the context of Eskisehir Osmangazi Universitesi (ESOGU) Tourism Camp, and is significant in terms of boosting local tourism. This study aimed to generate a GT that could reveal the main concern emerging from the interactive processes at ESOGU Tourism Camp and explain how it was resolved. Classic GT allowed the researchers to examine a little-explored phenomenon from an internal perspective, without formulating a hypothesis or any pre-insights, by conceptualizing the participants’ authentic experiences. Following Glaser’s (2001) statement that “all is data,” the researchers chose ESOGU Tourism Camp, focusing on experiences during the process of producing photos. Based on the rules of classic GT, the researchers carried out the study as a cyclical process, whereby both data collection and analysis were implemented simultaneously (i.e., memos were written, the data was conceptualized and returned to collection again until theoretical saturation was achieved and a GT was formed). A new GT could promote local tourism and sustainable development.

This paper offers a critique of the application of a systematic literature review (SLR) process during a grounded theory (GT) investigation. The place of the literature review (LR) within GT has long been discussed, contested, and frequently misunderstood. One of GT’s hallmarks is its inductive nature, allowing salient concepts to ‘arise’ rather than being deduced. Hence, there are differing perspectives on the role of the LR concerning enabling or constraining this inductive process. However, scant guidance is available on conducting LRs for GT studies. Wolfswinkel, Furtmueller and Wilderom (2011) offer a five-stage GT method for reviewing literature. This paper will provide insights into the advantages and disadvantages of their method. Though grounded in theoretical principles surrounding the LR’s purpose in GT, this paper gives practical guidance on operationalising this five-stage SLR process. This is done by demonstrating the application of their stages in a doctoral dissertation. A contemporaneous research audit trail was used to document each stage, reflect on challenges, and justify deviations from the original five stages. Excerpts from the audit trail will be used to illustrate how the process was applied. Based on the findings from applying these stages, tentative advancements to the model will be offered so that other researchers will have more detailed guidance on how a SLR may be conducted within GT studies.

Grounded Theory (GT) has become a fundamental Qualitative research methodology for developing theories from empirical data. However, its application varies across disciplines, leading to methodological inconsistencies and debates regarding rigor, coding techniques, and researcher subjectivity. This systematic review examines methodological approaches in GT research, analyzing their implementation, strengths, challenges, and emerging trends. Following PRISMA guidelines, relevant studies were selected from academic databases, and a thematic synthesis was conducted to identify methodological patterns. The review highlights the prevalence of Classical, Straussian, and Constructivist GT approaches, each differing in coding strategies, theoretical sampling, and researcher involvement. Findings indicate that GT is widely used in sociology, psychology, healthcare, and software engineering, demonstrating its adaptability across diverse fields. Key strengths of GT include its iterative data collection process and deep contextual grounding, while challenges involve coding complexity, inter-rater reliability, and researcher bias. Emerging trends suggest increasing integration of GT with technological tools, such as Qualitative data analysis software and AI-assisted coding. Additionally, mixed-methods GT approaches are gaining traction to enhance theoretical robustness. This review underscores the need for standardized methodological guidelines to ensure consistency and rigor in GT studies. Future research should explore the intersection of GT with digital advancements and interdisciplinary applications to strengthen its methodological integrity. By synthesizing best practices and identifying methodological gaps, this study provides valuable insights for researchers seeking to apply GT effectively in Qualitative inquiry.

Who is sensitising whom? A participatory interview guide development as an awareness tool within a health care research project

The purpose of the qualitative grounded theory study was to explore why industrial arts educators resisted organizational change to technology and engineering education. An exploratory, grounded theory method was used to identify new theory related to educators’ resistance because the current literature did not provide a theoretical perspective about why industrial arts educators have resisted the change. The sampling frame was derived from a database of 379 secondary technology and engineering education teachers in the state of Kansas, and a sample size of 13 participants was needed to reach theoretical saturation of the phenomenon. The data for the study was collected through observations and face-to-face semi-structured interviews with in-service industrial education teachers. Data collected from the observations and interviews were analyzed using the three-phase classic grounded theory coding technique. Data analysis and interpretation resulted in the emergence of three substantive theories related to the study phenomenon: (a) inefficacious transition to technology and engineering education, (b) value for technical learning, and (c) industry demand-based change.

Counterproductive work behavior is a form of deviant behavior that leads to financial losses. Counterproductivity behaviors have varying impacts on organizations and harm public trust in them. Considering the importance of the topic, this research, conducted within a qualitative framework using grounded theory, aimed to design a model for counterproductivity behaviors in monetary and financial organizations. The present research is qualitative, fundamental in terms of purpose, and exploratory in nature. It was conducted using the systematic approach of Strauss and Corbin (1998) in grounded theory. The statistical population of the study included experts from monetary and financial organizations. Through non-probability purposive sampling (snowball technique) and based on the principle of theoretical saturation, 24 participants were selected as the sample. Data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews, and the data were analyzed based on the Strauss and Corbin approach in the grounded theory model. For data coding, the three stages of open coding, axial coding, and selective coding were performed using NVivo software. A total of 108 initial codes, 36 concepts, and 17 categories were identified as findings of this study. The results of the study identified the lack of approval of laws and regulations and the absence of external oversight as contextual factors; lack of job commitment, lack of job attachment, lack of employee career development, and lack of job specialization as intervening factors; neglect of the physical environment, lack of managerial excellence, and lack of human resource development as causal factors. The core phenomenon was found to revolve around employees and the organization. Furthermore, lack of governance, lack of transparency development, lack of accountability, and lack of performance monitoring and evaluation were identified as strategies. The consequences were determined to impact the organization, employees, and customers.

This survey paper pursues three aims. The first aim is to sketch the overall role that grounding plays in Bolzano’s philosophy and to indicate some historical roots of his views, namely Aristotle’s conception of scientific proofs and the rationalist’s debate about the Principle of Sufficient Reason. The second aim is to provide readers coming from the current debate about metaphysical grounding with an accessible overview of Bolzano’s mature conception of grounding. The third and final aim of the paper is to introduce elements and terminology from Bolzano’s conceptual and ontological framework that are required to understand his theory of grounding.

Despite a growing body of research on youth activism, few studies examine how this intersects with gender. Our study aimed to explore whether and how young activists themselves perceived gender hierarchies as needing to be addressed through their collective action on sexual health in Peru and Ecuador. Using Grounded Theory (GT), qualitative data were collected and analyzed from young activists across four cases. Cases ranged in complexity from a single youth organization operating at the district level to numerous youth organizations articulating at the national level. We linked the GT analysis to a conceptual framework based on contemporary theorizing of gender and social movements. Accordingly, young activists perceived gender, and even class, ‘race’ and age, as salient to their collective actions. These actions corresponded to the social movement concept of mobilizing structures that consist of preexisting structures, tactics, and organizations. Young activists understood gender and other social categories as imbued by power differentials and, therefore, as social hierarchies, within which their activism was embedded. The study thereby demonstrates the need for an enhanced conceptual framework for the study of youth activism and its intersection with gender hierarchies.

Knowledge hoarding by knowledge workers deprives the organization of very valuable resources and can have many direct and indirect consequences. This research was conducted with the aim of identifying and validating its. This applied research has been done with a mixed sequential exploratory approach. Factors have been identified with a qualitative approach using thematic analysis method. The participants of this stage were the selected technical experts of Nahaja, and a semi-structured interview was used to survey their views. The quantitative stage was carried out in order to validate the identified factors. For this purpose, a questionnaire distributed among selected thecnical experts. These data were analysed through structural equation modeling (confirmatory factor analysis) and Smart Pls version 3 software. The findings showed that the antecedents of knowledge hoarding include individual factors (tendencies and interests, concerns and worries, motivations, individual traits and characteristics), interpersonal factors (communication factors), organizational factors (occupational factors, culture organizational, managerial factors, and structural factors), extra-organizational factors (social, cultural and economic factors). Also, the consequences of knowledge hoarding were classified into two categories of individual and organizational consequences. Quantitative analyzes also confirmed the significance of the relationship between the desired indicators and components. The results of this research can provide useful knowledge in this field to manage the phenomenon of knowledge hoarding. The simultaneous identification of factors affecting the occurrence of knowledge hoarding in the aforementioned four levels, as well as the consequences of this complication for knowledge workers and the organization, can provide an effective understanding for the management of this destructive organizational behavior. The simultaneous attention to the roots and individual and organizational consequences of this complication is considered the outstanding distinguishing feature of this research.

COVID-19 struck the world at the beginning of 2020, originating as a local outbreak of a potentially fatal disease in China and rapidly spreading across the entire globe, eventually being declared a pandemic. Malta reported the first cases in March 2020, with the government announcing a state of public health emergency shortly after. Several mitigation measures were introduced to control the virus and seek to minimise the health-related and economic effects on society. Being dependent on human beings, businesses are facing persistent challenges in managing their internal and external environment on a scale they have never been exposed to before. This study specifically explores the extent to which the pandemic affected the organisational behaviour of small businesses operating in Malta—a phenomenon about which there are few published studies as yet. Using grounded theory, an inductive approach is adopted to interpret the experiences narrated during interviews by seven participants who are either owner-managers or employees of separate firms. The interrelationship observed between the factors affecting organisational behaviour is presented through a conceptual model. This provides a way of tracing the path taken by organisations based on pre-COVID conditions, their reactions, and the final consequences. Ten propositions are offered to the small business community and other stakeholders as a synthesis of the research findings. In particular, the positive traits adopted by businesses that have managed not only to survive by adapting to the new circumstances, but also to thrive, propose valuable insights to existing and future entrepreneurs in managing organisational behaviour as this pandemic persists, and in the event that others arise.

In this article, we integrate thematic, grounded theory and narrative analytic techniques. We apply methods from each to the same qualitative data to illustrate how they provide different interpretive scopes on medication meaning making. Findings from each are concatenated to produce an integrated conceptual framework for understanding adolescent experience of psychiatric medication. We conclude that thematic, grounded theory, and narrative methods, when integrated, produce a multidimensional understanding of medication experience.

This article investigates usage continuance of social networking sites (SNSs). We propose an approach based on an SNS giving loop through the theoretical framework of gift theory (Mauss, 1954). We use mixed data and techniques with a classic grounded-theory (GT) approach. Using both qualitative and quantitative data, we define and model the components of the SNS gift-triptych that are significant in explaining the durability of com- puter-mediated social ties (CMSTs). We highlight the relationship between the dynamics of reciprocal giving and usage continuance/discontinuance of Facebook. We show that a giv- ing loop defined through the give-receive-return triptych explains Facebook usage contin- uance: the more complete the giving loop is, the more individuals are inclined to continue using the social networking site. Those users who enter into reciprocal-giving dynamics and develop strong CMSTs are those who will use more frequently and more lastingly the social networking site.

This theoretical article atlases the theory of choice preference in research. This was initially induced from my experiences and supplemented with: (1) confession of other researchers; and (2) available literature. I exploited classical and pragmatic grounded theory (GT) that is modified to suit the need of study. This type of GT is coined as “experience-based theory building”. Initially inductive, it amalgamated: (1) deduction; (2) abduction; and (3) retroduction. It obtained: (1) 13 Level I basic concepts: monetary, time, formal education, non-formal training, informal learning experience, exposure to alternative form of research, no exposure to the alternative form of research, acceptance, respect, disrespect, denial, open and close system; (2) 7 Level II subcategories or constructs: personal, socio-cultural, economic, educational, learning exposure, continuum of exposure to the alternative form of research tradition, action and acceptance system; and (3) 5 Level III theoretical categories: philosophical stance, influences, exposure, preferred research tradition and judgment. Choice preference was identified as the core category that interlaced the different theoretical categories, constructs and basic concepts. Choice preference is an individual process and cannot be imposed. The interaction between the acceptance system and exposure curbs the actions: (1) respect; (2) acceptance; (3) denial; and (4) disrespect. They are categorically interpreted as: (1) true wisdom; (2) informed; 3) ignorance; and (4) elitism. Choice preference engages with the: (1) expenditure to the preferred form; and (2) judgment to the alternative form. This is the synergy of learning exposure, spelled in its formal, informal and non-formal form, and philosophical stance that is shaped with personal, economic, educational and socio-cultural influence.

PurposeTo articulate the interpretations and adaptations of Grounded Theory made within the 2G method, and the motivations behind them.Design/methodology/approachLiterature review and conceptual approach reflecting on the authors' experience of having developed the 2G method.FindingsIdentifies six adaptations of Grounded Theory as being of particular interest. Five relate to method procedures, namely: developing a core category; coding interview data; exposing evolving theories to stakeholders; developing multiple concept frameworks; and inter‐linking concepts. The sixth relates to expectations on method users, and the tension between expertise relating to the phenomenon being analysed, and openness in interpreting the data.Research limitations/implicationsShows how Grounded Theory procedures have been adapted and used in IS methods. Specifically, the paper illustrates and makes explicit how a specific method (the 2G method) has evolved.Practical implicationsProvides insights for users of Grounded Theory (GT) and developers of IS methods on how GT procedures have been interpreted and adapted in previous and the authors' own research.Originality/valueProvides insights into how Grounded Theory (GT) procedures have been adapted for use in other IS methods, with insights from the authors' own experience of having developed the 2G method. Reflects on the use of GT procedures in a number of case studies related to tool evaluation. Identifies six areas in which specific interpretations or adaptations of GT were considered necessary in the contexts in which the studies were undertaken, and justifies these six departures from standard interpretations of GT procedures.