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Knowledge sabotage is the newest and the seventh type of counterproductive knowledge behavior. The other forms of counterproductive work behavior in knowledge management are disengagement from knowledge sharing, knowledge sharing ignorance, partial knowledge sharing, knowledge hoarding, counter knowledge sharing and knowledge hiding. Alexander Serenko has has defined that in knowledge sabotage the saboteur provides incorrect information or hides knowledge from another employee under six conditions:

1) the saboteur acts intentionally (intention); 2) the saboteur is fully aware of the target’s need for knowledge (need awareness); 3) the saboteur possesses the required knowledge (knowledge possession); 4) the required knowledge is extremely important to the target (knowledge importance); 5) the saboteur is aware of the knowledge’s importance to the target (knowledge importance awareness); and 6) the saboteur is aware that the target would be able to productively apply the required knowledge to work-related tasks (knowledge application).

Other types of counterproductive knowledge behaviours do not fill all the conditions mentioned in the previous section. Knowledge sabotage is conceptually different than other forms and it can be seen as an extreme form of counterproductive knowledge behaviour. Serenko has encountered that knowledge saboteurs can act against other people or the organization. This can be a consequence from competition or conflict.

Knowledge sabotage can be active or passive. In active knowledge sabotage the saboteur provides wrong information and in passive mode saboteur conceals knowledge. Usually the saboteur uses passive form of knowledge sabotage. Passive sabotage requires less resources and in active sabotage the saboteur has higher risk to get caught.