ABSTRACT
In the seventeenth century, from a knowledge perspective, there was a lively scene for both publishing and reading about the overseas world. However, although there was no shortage of information from overseas, the question of how to apply the information on business practices was a different matter. This chapter focuses on the importance of the accumulation of knowledge for overseas business. In focus are the ways in which individuals translated accumulated information into knowledge, but also how individuals applied this knowledge in order to strengthen their entrepreneurship. The chapter shows that individuals used informational asymmetries within the companies to their own advantage. With exclusive access to information individuals were tempted to use their position to further strengthen such asymmetries, and to hinder companies from developing new information-gathering strategies.
