**4. The significance of knowledge employees' voice in digital startups**

Digital startups are companies whose main property is knowledge capital [48]. Digital startups create a competitive advantage by developing knowledge and implementing it effectively [49]. These companies refer to learning organizations whose employees tend to work in groups and individually to enhance their knowledge production capacity [50].

Digital startups invest in programs that can increase the participation of knowledge employees [51]. That is because all the employees are not regarded as a source of competitive advantage for the company [52]. Welbourne [53] also highlighted that most social scientists, staff, and managers have a consensus over knowledge employees' involvement; therefore, when knowledge employees demonstrate an activity, they indicate there is a great difference between them and robots that conduct simple and repetitive tasks. As a result, it can show that companies are growing and developing [53]. In fact, the resource-based perspective helps understand the differences in the growth and performance of digital startups [54].

The value of any company is reliant on its employees and the value of the employees relies on the knowledge that they have provided or stored for the future [55]. Thus, knowledge employees refer to those who create new ideas, are involved in the dissemination of knowledge, use knowledge as a resource, participate in research and development, and are actively involved in the advancement of knowledge [56]. According to the expectancy theory of motivation, human beings have the ability to achieve their objectives if they are motivated and they perceive the value of their ideas, and also if managers prepare the ground for the employees to express their opinions. Motivation will lead to high productivity in the organization [57]. If employees' voice is discouraged and employees tend to deny their voice rights, they become more frightening than the credible bodies that can hold the responsibilities [58]. Hence, it is crucial to develop a sense of trust among the employees and the managers, which leads to creating an atmosphere of comprehensive employee participation, increasing their motivation and providing creative comments [59]. It can also help create the appropriate context and infrastructure for the knowledge employees' voices to achieve organizational goals [60]. Therefore, when managers demonstrate ethical standards to their employees, they will feel free to express their opinions and suggestions [61]. These employees will also show more responsibility and a positive attitude toward the organization [62–64].

Digital startups are among the coordinators of the relationship between industry and universities and can be considered the driving force of self-sufficiency in the country [32]. Because of the importance of science and technology development in the economic cycle and directing research in the country to turn research ideas and results into wealth creation, it is necessary for the managers of digital startups to become more familiar with the factors of development and success so that they

can manage their company toward achieving its objectives [65]. In these circumstances, digital startups often promote the transfer of knowledge and technology from research centers to the private sector and facilitate the commercialization of academic results [66, 67]. Consequently, given the digital startups' need to create an innovative, capable, and adaptable organizational environment in competitive environments, they ask for constructive suggestions and criticisms from knowledge employees to maintain their position in a highly competitive environment [68]. Nevertheless, the upcoming dynamics in developing countries have created new challenges for the management of digital startups [67]. Digital startups seek the optimum approaches to operate and strengthen the relationships based on mutual cooperation to achieve organizational objectives [69]. Accordingly, digital startups will need the opinions of their knowledge employees to be able to make successful organizational changes.

## **5. Conclusion**

Societies have experienced a great number of changes compared to the past; thus, digital startups are required to pay special attention to the necessary factors to remain competitive in a dynamic environment. According to previous studies, it can be argued that effective knowledge sharing is now regarded as a crucial determinant of success in management. It refers to the occupational atmosphere where employees are free to voice their work-related ideas without any fear and reprimand. Therefore, sharing knowledge among colleagues is likely to improve the efficiency of the organization, reduce training costs, and minimize the risk of uncertainty in the organization. This type of voice is particularly related to human resource management, organizational culture, behavior, and leadership, which highlights the creation of the appropriate conditions (structure, technology, and supportive environment) for growth and development. These factors can help create a competitive advantage for the organization in the business environment. If colleagues demonstrate any resistance against new ideas and opinions, knowledge employees will try to resolve this resistance through the organizational objectives with official authority. Since these employees can perceive that their supervisors are introducing themselves in an integrated manner and helping them with empowerment skills, they will have enough confidence and courage to communicate freely without the fear of retaliation or aggression. In addition, they can persuade their leaders to revise any potential mistakes, change inappropriate and unnecessary organizational rules, and consider their leaders as the power behind the new structures, technologies, or approaches to improve productivity. Therefore, the knowledge employees' voice helps create knowledge in digital startups and improves the performance of that company toward more success in competition with rival companies. To that end, top management needs to focus on nurturing human capital and creating an organizational ecosystem where employees might have the opportunity to grow, feel part of the organization, and enable them to share their opinions and feedback, as well as share knowledge across the organization.

*Perspective Chapter: The Role of Knowledge Employees' Voices in Creating Knowledge in Digital… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.105646*
