My Colleague Just Left! A Knowledge-Based Perspective on Co-Worker Departures

How is the performance of a knowledge worker affected by the departure of a colleague? While prior research has highlighted the aggregate impact of knowledge worker mobility on firms, in this theory paper we look inside the firm, to explore the individual-level impact of a co-worker’s departure on the performance of a remaining employee. We propose that the departure of a co-worker can change the remaining employee’s access to knowledge, but the implications of such changes will depend on the nature of the co-worker’s relationship with the employee: the employee’s performance will be negatively affected to the extent that the relationship is collaborative, but it will be positively affected to the extent that the relationship is competitive. Moreover, these effects will be magnified to the extent that the employee was dependent on the co-worker for knowledge access to prior to the move, but weakened to the extent that the relationship persists after the move. Our knowledge-based perspective on co-worker departures advances research on employee mobility and knowledge flows by highlighting the variety of changes in knowledge access that may result when a colleague leaves the firm, and illuminating the implications of these changes for the performance of employees who remain behind.