Hiring rivals' workers can be an advantage

STILLWATER, Okla., Nov. 24 (UPI) -- Losing key employees can hurt an organization or business despite a widespread notion no one is irreplaceable, U.S. researchers say.

Federico Aime of Oklahoma State University studied the competitive engagements between the San Francisco 49ers and all other teams in the National Football League from 1979-2002. During the study period, the 49ers dominated the league under the guidance of Coach Bill Walsh, winning four Super Bowl championships using the "West Coast Offense." This offense was a vastly different approach to the game, resulting in a set of advantageous routines implemented in head-to-head competition.

The researches developed a database of yearly information on all NFL assistant coaches and head coaches and collected scores and statistical information for all games played.

The study, published in Strategic Management Journal, showed the 49ers had an average victory margin of 6.4 points and won 66 percent of their games, with their offense scoring 23.6 points per game while opponents' offenses averaged only 17.6 points.

In those games where the opposing team had a key employee with experience in the West Coast Offense working directly under Walsh, the 49ers' victory margin was more than 5 points lower.

The loss of a key employee can hinder organizational performance, even in superior organizations that have established advantageous routines through strategic initiatives that set them apart from their competitors, because the lost employees bring strategic knowledge with them to the hiring firm, the study found.