*2.3.4 Knowledge protection*

Knowledge is a resource that creates competitive advantages. Therefore, to maintain their competitive advantage, companies must make efforts to protect their knowledge. Many companies believe that their knowledge can be protected through patents, trademarks, copyrights, etc. However, not all knowledge can be defined through intellectual property rights. It also needs to be assisted by the employee code of conduct, adjustment of incentives, and job design [15]. Although knowledge protection is inherently difficult, and the existent literature rarely discusses the topic of knowledge protection, it is very important for knowledge-intensive companies.

Scholars proposed that knowledge-intensive service industries usually require employees or knowledge workers to sign confidentiality agreements, competition clauses, or other legally effective formalized contracts to restrict internal company secrets and direct or indirect outflow of customer information to third parties or competitors, while avoiding the possibility of employees changing jobs or malicious talent poaching by competitors [16]. In addition, the knowledge-intensive service industry also incorporates informal mechanisms such as education and training, incentive measures, shaping corporate culture, or establishing relationship connections to enhance employees' loyalty to the organization, and reduce the risk of professional knowledge leak.

The implementation of knowledge protection may not be as smooth as expected, with possibilities of increased workload for members of the organization, or hindered knowledge sharing or cultural learning, but it is a very important process for

the organization. Since the knowledge-intensive service industry relies on expertise in products or services, and knowledge assets are also a source of competitive advantage, organizational knowledge needs to be protected to achieve scarcity and prevent imitation. This research incorporates knowledge protection into knowledge management activities and explores the organization's activities in knowledge management activity.

### **2.4 Summary of literature review**

In the era of the knowledge economy, knowledge is the most important production resource for organizations and is also the key for organizations to establish their competitive advantage. Knowledge management scholars have always valued issues ranging from acquisition, storage, and sharing for the effective application of knowledge. More companies have gradually realized the importance of knowledge management, which is both a strategy and a process. In this process, there must be factors that promote knowledge management, including organizational structure, organizational culture, personnel factors, and information technology. Therefore, this research analyzes the factors influencing knowledge management and knowledge management activities to understand the relevant actions of enterprises.

In the past, most scholars who conducted research on knowledge management discussed the knowledge management situation of enterprises from the perspective of process, and seldom used and described how knowledge management influences affect knowledge management activities. Therefore, this research analyzes the relationship between the influential factors of knowledge management and knowledge management activities to explore practices of case companies. Based on the literature discussed, this research integrates the elements proposed by previous scholars into four influential factors of knowledge management to explore the activities of case companies, namely "strategy and leadership," "organizational culture," "personnel factors," and "information technology." For knowledge management activities, this research summarizes the views of knowledge management procedures proposed by previous scholars. After considering the industrial characteristics of CROs, it will be divided into four major activities: "knowledge acquisition and absorption," "knowledge accumulation and "storage," "knowledge diffusion and exchange," and "knowledge protection," which will be used to study the activities of case companies. In addition, the research focuses on the "execution" phase of clinical trials in the CRO industry. Finally, this research analyzes the relationship between the influential factors of knowledge management and management activities. The research results are expected to contribute to both academia and industry.

## **3. Research methods**

### **3.1 Research framework**

The research framework is drawn as shown in **Figure 1**. This research examines the knowledge management practices of CROs from the perspectives of "influential factors of knowledge management" and "knowledge management activities," and explores how CROs in Taiwan perform knowledge management activities during the "execution" phase of assisting clinical trials. It then discusses the actual situation regarding the relationship between influential factors of knowledge management and knowledge management activities.

*Investigating Knowledge Management Activities and Influential Factors of Contract Research… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.101881*

### **Figure 1.**

*Research framework.*

### **3.2 Research method**

The case study method is regarded as suitable and is proposed for this research to explore the required questions [17]. It focuses on phenomena that occur in real life. Therefore, the experience of researchers is important [17].

Since the research mainly explores the "influential factors of knowledge management" and "knowledge management activities" of CROs in Taiwan, this research adopts the case study method to conduct in-depth interviews for primary information and collect secondary data. After analysis of the real situation of knowledge management in CROs, the research findings, conclusions, and recommendations are derived. This research adopts the multiple cases method with the intention to explore how CROs implement knowledge management and provide suggestions and reference values to other CROs interested in knowledge management.

### **3.3 Research objects**

This research chose two American companies with a branch in Taiwan, a Taiwanese company, and a Japanese company with a branch in Taiwan, as the research objects. The main purpose is to use the heterogeneous background of the CROs to make the analysis and discussion in this research more comprehensive. After comparing the sizes and backgrounds of different CROs, the similarities and differences in their knowledge management practices can be understood. Brief information regarding the four CROs is provided as follows.

IQVIA is a U.S. CRO and one of the top five CROs in the world. The IQVIA has a branch in Taiwan.

PRA Health Science is an American CRO, and it is also one of the top five CROs in the world. It has a branch in Taiwan.

The Formosa Biomedical Technology Corporation (FBTC) is a local Taiwanese biotechnology company. A clinical trial division was formally established in July 1995 to perform CRO-related services. It is one of the most famous CROs in Taiwan and is still actively growing and developing.

A2 Healthcare Corporation (A2HC) in Taiwan is a CRO owned by a Japanese business group. It is currently working hard to deepen its business in Taiwan. Compared to the first three companies, it is a small CRO company.


**Table 1.**

*Interview information.*

**Table 1** illustrates the interviewees who participated in this research and other related information about the interviews.
