Role of secrecy in meeting business competition

• Main Author: Huang, Hua Chai
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2011
• Subjects: Trade secrets; Competition
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/35444

Information and data are essentially the basic ingredients for the formulation of informed judgments and the making of rational decisions. In recent years, the inadequacy of business information and data available to the various segments of the economy has led them to advocate that business enterprises should disclose all their relevant and material information fully and comprehensively. Seldom, however, have they, who are outside the corporate management, given adequate consideration to the role that secrecy of business information can play in enabling competition among rival business enterprises. In this thesis, it is suggested that secrecy of some information, not full disclosure, is necessary if business enterprises are to be competitive against rivals. This study has found that the business enterprises interviewed in the field study are strongly opposed to disclosing fully and comprehensively all their information. In the views of some of the executives who are in the selected enterprises, secrecy of certain information is required not only in the maintenance of the competitive positions of their enterprises, but also as a necessary part of their competitive weaponry against rivals. Secrecy is also desired in the interests of their enterprises. Apparently, therefore, the exigencies of the various segments of the economy for business information and data cannot be met by voluntary full disclosure of information by business enterprises; certainly it is not attainable without opposition from the business community. === Business, Sauder School of === Graduate