The research results indicate the presence of a powerful barrier to knowledge sharing in China: competitiveness and job-security related fears. Concern about job security was especially prevalent among younger and lower-level professionals. Today’s economic conditions in China are extremely competitive, and a widely accepted proverb is ‘‘knowledge is power’’. When people acquire new knowledge, they believe that it is the key to their success and are likely to guard it instead of sharing it. The following quotes illustrate this finding: