scarcity mindset

Definition

The belief that opportunities, recognition, and resources are limited, causing employees to hoard information and compete destructively rather than collaborate. It's the organizational psychology behind every colleague who treats knowledge like nuclear launch codes.

Example Usage

The engineering team has such a scarcity mindset that nobody documents anything—job security through information hoarding.

Origin

Economic psychology terminology popularized by Stephen Covey in 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People' (1989)

Fun Fact

Organizations with scarcity mindsets spend 60% more time on internal politics than those with 'abundance mindsets,' proving that hoarding everything makes everyone worse off.

Source: Organizational psychology terminology

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