Knowledge withholding: psychological hindrance to the innovation diffusion within an organisation

The effect of job insecurity on knowledge hiding behavior: The mediation of psychological safety and the moderation of servant leadership

As the global economy deteriorates because of the great shocks such as COVID-19 pandemic and wars among nations, the business environment is suffered from uncertainty and risk. To deal with it, several firms have attempted to maximize its efficiency via downsizing and restructuring to diminish costs. Thus, the degree of anxiety is increased among employees who worry about the loss of their job. The current research hypothesizes that job insecurity increases employees' knowledge hiding behavior by diminishing the degree of their psychological safety. In other words, psychological safety functions as the underlying process (i.e., mediator) in the job insecurity-knowledge hiding behavior link. Furthermore, this paper tries to examine the boundary condition of how to decrease the detrimental influence of job insecurity, focusing on the moderating effect of servant leadership. Utilizing a 3-wave time-lagged data from 365 Korean employees, we empirically demonstrated that employees who perceive job insecurity are less likely to perceive psychological safety, eventually increasing their knowledge hiding behavior. We also found that servant leadership functions as a positive moderator which buffers the negative impact of job insecurity on psychological safety. Theoretical and practical contributions are described.

The Impact of Job Insecurity on Knowledge-Hiding Behavior: The Mediating Role of Organizational Identification and the Buffering Role of Coaching Leadership

As the global economic situation deteriorates due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the business environment is plagued by uncertainty and risk. To address this, many organizations have sought to optimize efficiency, especially by downsizing and restructuring, to reduce costs. This causes anxiety among employees, who worry about whether they will be fired. We hypothesize that such job insecurity increases knowledge-hiding behavior by employees, and we investigate the mechanism underlying such a negative effect. In addition, we attempt to capture the boundary conditions of how to reduce the adverse effects of job insecurity, focusing on the role of coaching leadership. Using three-wave time-lagged cohort-study data from 346 Korean workers, we empirically found that employees who perceive job insecurity are less likely to feel organizational identification, leading to increased knowledge-hiding behavior. This study also demonstrated that coaching leadership operates as a boundary condition which buffers the negative influence of job insecurity on organizational identification. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Knowledge hiding in the academia: Individual and social factors predicting knowledge hiding behaviour of undergraduates of a Nigerian university

This study examined the knowledge hiding behaviour (KHB) of undergraduates of a university in southwestern, Nigeria, as well as the individual and social factors influencing their knowledge hiding behaviour. The study adopted the descriptive survey design. Random sampling was used to select 390 undergraduates across the faculties of the university. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Findings revealed that the undergraduates engaged in knowledge hiding. The study also identified the various methods the students used to hide knowledge, among which are pretense of lack of knowledge, avoiding interactive classes, reading alone and unwillingness to release lecture notes, among others. The results show that the individual factors (distrust and psychological ownership), as well as the social factors (negative or lack of mutual reciprocity, lack of social interaction and lack of social identification), predicted the KHB of the students. The study concluded that the undergraduates engaged in knowledge hiding in so many ways and for many reasons. The individual factors of the students, as well as the social factors surrounding them, predicted their KHB. The study made some recommendations for research and practice.

Sharing or hiding? The influence of supervisor bottom-line mentality on employee knowledge behaviors

Purpose

Drawing on the dual-strategies theory of social rank and leader distance theory, this paper aims to investigate the influence of supervisor bottom-line mentality (BLM) on employee knowledge-related behaviors by considering the mediating role of perceived leader prestige or dominance and the moderating role of supervisor–subordinate guanxi (SSG).

Design/methodology/approach

This study collected survey data from 185 research and development employees in East China at three-time points. The authors conducted path analysis and bootstrapping-based analytic approach to test the hypotheses by Mplus7.0.

Findings

The results showed that supervisor BLM has a negative effect on employee knowledge sharing and a positive effect on knowledge hiding. Besides, perceived leader prestige or dominance mediated the relationship between supervisor BLM and employee knowledge hiding. Furthermore, SSG moderated the relationship between supervisor BLM and perceived leader prestige or dominance, as well as the indirect effects of supervisor BLM on knowledge hiding via perceived leader prestige or dominance.

Originality/value

There is limited research on investigating the influence of supervisor BLM in the field of knowledge management. The authors carried out this study to provide evidence of how and when supervisor BLM affects employee knowledge sharing and hiding.

A Bibliometric Analysis of Knowledge-Hiding Research

Knowledge hiding, defined as an intentional attempt to conceal requested knowledge, has become a hot topic in management and psychology in the last decade. Emerging research has suggested that knowledge hiding is not simply the opposite of knowledge sharing, such that it is crucial to clarify the concept, explore the research progress and development trend of knowledge hiding. Based on 243 relevant articles, a bibliometric analysis of knowledge-hiding research is presented via descriptive, keyword and citation analysis. Results reveal that knowledge-hiding research, mainly focusing on the disciplines of management, business and psychology, is currently in a period of rapid growth, especially in the past two or three years. The systematic review of knowledge-hiding research enables us intuitively to obtain a panoramic view, including publication performance, thematic evolution and most influential topics of the field via a set of science maps, enabling future authors to investigate knowledge hiding and focus their research more effectively.

Workplace Loneliness and the Need to Belong in the Era of COVID-19

On the basis of Social Exchange Theory (SET), Knowledge Stickiness Theory (KST), and the need-to-belong hypotheses, we empirically studied the causes and consequences of workplace loneliness in interpersonal communication and explored the moderating effect of the need to belong. We distributed a survey and collected 639 valid responses in mainland China in both paper and electronic form during the period of February to October 2020, when the COVID-19 crisis was severe. Mplus was used to create a latent structural equation model with a moderating mediating model. Collaborative and competitive intrateam climates affect employees’ workplace loneliness and knowledge hoarding from different aspects. We also verified a moderated mediation model. Thus, this study examines the mediating effect of workplace loneliness and introduces the need to belong as the moderating variable; reveals the formation mechanism of workplace loneliness in collaborative and competitive intrateam climates; and deepens the research on the effective regulation of workplace loneliness. As the COVID-19 pandemic remains ongoing, we have verified changes to the mediating effect of workplace loneliness, driven by the motivation of the need to belong, and clearly evaluated a moderated mediating effect path, which contributes to the theory of belonging.

Impact of Organizational Dehumanization on Employee Knowledge Hiding

Knowledge hiding has become an alarming issue for the organizations. Knowledge hiding is an employee's intentional attempt to conceal knowledge requested by others at the workplace. Employee knowledge hiding significantly influences an organization's effective functioning. This research is an attempt to extend previous work on antecedents of knowledge hiding. Drawing on conservation of resources theory, it is proposed that receiving poor treatment by organizations in the form of organizational dehumanization creates psychological distress among employees toward the organization. Distress among workers in turn intervenes the path and increases the likelihood of engaging in knowledge hiding behaviors. An employee's felt obligation for constructive change (FOCC) may moderate the relationship between organizational dehumanization and employee psychological distress. Data for the current study were collected from 245 employees of the telecommunication sector in three-time lags. The results support the direct and indirect effect of organizational dehumanization on employee knowledge hiding behaviors through the mediation of psychological distress. The results also support the moderation of FOCC between organizational dehumanization and psychological distress. Furthermore, the findings of the study may help organizational practitioners and managers about the value of effective organizational climate and practices for better organizational functioning through knowledge sharing and providing insight into undesirable repercussions of organizational dehumanization. Implications for organizations and practitioners are discussed.

Knowledge hiding behavior in higher education institutions: a scientometric analysis and systematic literature review approach

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to systematically review knowledge hiding (KH) behavior in higher education institutions (HEIs). KH is regarded as an unethical and antisocial behavior by many scholars, which should not be prevalent in HEIs.

Design/methodology/approach

A two-phase analysis through quantitative scientometric analysis and qualitative systematic literature review method through the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) model was applied. In phase 1,174 articles were analyzed using the VOSviewer through co-word and co-citation analyses. In Phase 2, 20 related studies on KH in HEIs were qualitatively analyzed on the fundamental concept of KH. The main themes were determined based on current research findings, through the identification of relevant gaps in the context of higher education.

Findings

In Phase 1, co-word and co-citation analyses resulted in six and three clusters, respectively. Subsequently, in Phase 2, five themes were discovered: terminology of KH, scale of KH, cultural and geographical context, KH among academics and students and relevant theories. Further, discussion on the institutional factors of individuals, organizations, technology and culture is presented.

Practical implications

This review lays out a practical guide to facilitate HEIs in managing KH behavior among academics, employees, and students. Strategies can be planned and implemented to foster and inculcate knowledge sharing behavior to circulate knowledge while at the same time diminishing KH behavior in HEIs.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is the first to review KH behavior in the context of HEIs through quantitative and qualitative analysis.

Knowledge Hiding: Current Research Status and Future Research Directions

This article provides a review of scientific articles addressing the topic of knowledge hiding in organizations. Based on a descriptive analysis, bibliometric analysis, and content analysis of a sample of 81 articles published in the academic journals in the Web of Science from 2012 to 2020, we identify the main areas and current dynamics of knowledge hiding research. Our results show that the central research themes of knowledge hiding include five clusters: concept and dimensions, antecedents, consequences, theories, and influence mechanisms. Based on our findings, we suggest future research should further develop the concept and dimensions of knowledge hiding; probe deeper into the consequences of knowledge hiding; explore multilateral, cross-level, and collective knowledge hiding; employ innovative theoretical perspectives and research methods to study knowledge hiding; and address how cultural and other contextual factors may shape the knowledge hiding behavior.

Effect of a community of practice on knowledge sharing across boundaries: the mediating role of learning goals

Purpose

A community of practice (CoP) is believed to be a driver for knowledge creation but it can hinder knowledge sharing across boundaries. Drawing on social cognitive theory, this study aims to investigate how a CoP within a single unit promotes knowledge sharing with other units by examining the mediating effect of the members’ learning goals (LG).

Design/methodology/approach

Structural equation modeling was conducted using a two-wave survey data on nurses from eight Japanese hospitals (n = 263).

Findings

The results indicated that LG fully and positively mediated the effect of a CoP on the knowledge-sharing intention of one unit toward other units and that LG fully and negatively mediated the effect of a CoP on knowledge withholding (KW) from other units.

Practical implications

Knowledge managers need to note that intellectual benefits from experienced CoP can play a key role in reducing the perceived risks associated with members’ knowledge sharing and in creating effective knowledge sharing with other units.

Originality/value

The main contribution is to identify the process by which CoP promotes knowledge sharing and prevents KW across boundaries mediated through LG. This study is the first to quantitatively show how LG cross inter-professional barriers caused by CoPs.

The Psychology behind Knowledge Hiding in an Organization

This study aimed to understand the psychological process behind employees’ knowledge hiding (KH) behaviors in organizations. KH is an intentional act of concealing knowledge when it is requested by a colleague and can lead to counterproductive consequences for the organization. Therefore, this study synthesized previous studies (n = 88) on KH through a systematic literature review. We used the cognitive–motivational–relational (CMR) theory of emotion to create a framework for the studies’ findings. Based on the framework, the psychological process behind KH has two stages—personal goal generation and the knowledge-request event appraisal process, each of which contains its own CMR process. In the first stage, an individual’s internal and external attributes related to the organization shape their personal goals. In the second stage, an individual appraises the features of a knowledge-request event in terms of both their personal goal and the internal and external attributes that created the goal. If the knowledge request is appraised as harmful for the personal goal, emotion arises and leads to the manifestation of KH. This study contributes to the knowledge management literature as, to our knowledge, it is the first to propose a CMR theory-based framework to understand the overall psychological process behind KH.

Knowledge-withholding behaviours among IT specialists: the roles of job insecurity, work overload and supervisor support

The purpose of this paper is to explore factors that have an impact on information technology (IT) specialists' concealment of knowledge from their supervisors. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data from 118 IT specialists from a large Polish software company. The data analyses were conducted using partial least-squares path modelling. The results revealed that perceived work overload (PWO) is positively related to perceived job insecurity (PJI), and that PJI is positively related to vertical knowledge withholding (VKW). Contrary to expectations, no significant relation was found between PWO and VKW. Moreover, there is a negative relationship between supervisor support (SS) and VKW. This study introduces the concept of VKW and places it in the context of the relationship between subordinates and superiors. Managers can use the results to limit knowledge withholding among IT specialists. To confirm achieved results, future research can use larger samples and be conducted in different sectors.

Antecedents of Knowledge Withholding: A Systematic Review & Integrative Framework

The purpose of this research is to provide a systematic review and integrative framework of the antecedents of knowledge withholding. A systematic literature review led to a selection of 42 empirical research papers that collected data from 16,649 respondents. The included papers identified 93 antecedents that showed a high degree of theoretical variety. We used the theories of interdependence, social exchange, and social identity to construct a framework that integrates and explains why people withhold their knowledge. We developed propositions of the antecedents of knowledge withholding, which we compare against the SLR. We propose and find that (a) negative interdependence increases knowledge withholding behaviors, but (b) positive versus negative social exchanges may respectively decrease or increase withholding in situations where the default may be positive interdependence. We also propose and find that actors who strongly identify with their immediate team will less likely withhold knowledge from them. In contrast, actors who strongly identify with a different identity will more likely withhold knowledge from their team. The integrative framework provides a strong theoretical foundation for future study and identifies many valuable new research questions

Effect of Dark Personalities on Knowledge Hiding Behaviour at Higher Education Institutions

A key concern in the way of improving knowledge sharing practices is knowledge hiding behaviour. Literature shows that knowledge hiding is a prevalent phenomenon in organisations including higher education institutions (HEIs) and is largely determined by the personality of the knowledge holders. Thus, the present study attempts to examine the effect of dark personalities (undesirable personality traits comprising of Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) on knowledge hiding behaviour of faculty members at HEIs. Based on 139 valid responses from the full-time faculty members serving in various private universities in Bangladesh, the study revealed that both Machiavellianism and psychopathy have significant positive association with knowledge hiding behaviour of the academics, whereas narcissism is insignificantly related with knowledge hiding behaviour. This study indicated that dark personalities play a key role in academics’ inclination to hide knowledge.

A personal network approach to the study of nurse champions of innovation and their innovation projects' spread

AIMS

To develop and test the relationship between nurse champions' personal social networks and innovation success in terms of spread.

DESIGN

A cross sectional.

METHOD(S)

Data were collected on 94 nurse champions at three medium-large tertiary medical centres from 2015-2016. Data from champions on their personal network were assessed via a standardized and acceptable three-step network survey. Success in terms of innovation spread was assessed via perceived extent of spread. Network structural and relational characteristics were depicted by level of spread. Multivariate linear regression was used to assess the relationship between network characteristics and innovation spread.

FINDINGS

Above and beyond various project and network control variables, network density was significantly and positively related to project spread, tie-strength diversity was significantly and negatively related to project spread and difference in ethnic origin between champions and alters was significantly and positively related to project spread. Maximum age of network members was marginally significantly related to project spread.

CONCLUSION(S)

Our findings show that high-density personal social networks; networks where tie strength among network members is similar, thus, creating liking and trust among members; having at least one older network member who might have close access to professional and organizational resources acquired throughout their career; and having ties with network members from different ethnic groups to prevent knowledge stickiness, all promote innovation spread. Champions should be carefully nominated based on their ability to engage network members and to build ties with various network members inside and outside the nursing unit; once selected, champions should be aware of their social networks.

IMPACT

The current study explored champions' personal-network structure, composition and variance measures and their implications for innovation project spread. The findings demonstrated that nursing champions' personal social networks matter for innovation spread. This finding has implications for the nominating and the coaching of champions.

A Team-Level Study of the Relationship between Knowledge Sharing and Trust in Kenya: Moderating Role of Collaborative Technology

Research on team dynamics is gaining popularity because teams are yielding positive organizational outcomes. Advanced technologies are often used to enhance team outcomes for improved productivity and to create effective knowledge-sharing contexts in teams, particularly in contexts where trust among team members is vital. This study analyzed the influence of knowledge sharing on trust at the team level in Kenya. The objective was to determinepractical implications to assist organizations with their efforts to optimize the association between knowledge sharing and team-level trust and to consider the moderating role of collaborative technology on this relationship. Data were collected from 300 professional employees at three organizations in Kenya, aggregated into 75 teams, and analyzed in a hierarchical multiple linear regression. The team-level analysis found that knowledge sharing was significantly and positively related to the extent of team trust, and the relationship was moderated by the perception of collaborative technology. Organizations should consider their teams’ knowledge sharing and trust to support team dynamics and achieve organizational and team goals. Employees’ perceptions that technologies support team processes influence the effectiveness of knowledge sharing as a way to build team trust.

Knowledge hiding in two contrasting cultural contexts

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to decipher the role of culture in determining knowledge-hiding tendencies of individuals. This study attempts to understand the different strategic factors (SFs) engendering knowledge hiding, model it and finally estimate the driving and dependency potency of these factors in two different cultural contexts – occidental and oriental.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors undertook content analysis of the pertinent literature to trace out the antecedents. These SFs engendering knowledge hiding were later modeled using total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) with the aid of R programming language and consequently subjected to Matriced’ Impacts Croise’s Multiplication Appliquée a un Classement (MICMAC) analysis to categorize these factors into: autonomous, depending, linkage and driving.

Findings

The analysis establishes personality traits as a common driving factor engendering knowledge hiding in both the cultural contexts. Emotional intelligence is a key driving factor in an occidental cultural context whereas interpersonal distrust drives knowledge hiding in an oriental cultural setting. The task in hand, its uncertainty and complexity are the other critical factors causing knowledge hiding in the oriental cultural context.

Practical implications

The study suggests organizations in the occidental setting to streamline their recruitment policy, giving due importance to the personality traits and emotional quotient of individuals. As task uncertainty and complexity are the critical driving factors in the oriental context, the organizations should undertake a delicate balancing act between reducing risk, removing uncertainty and progressing.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is probably the first-ever attempt to apply comprehensive TISM and MICMAC on knowledge hiding, which characterizes the antecedents of knowledge hiding in two opposite cultural contexts and thereby offers to provide the required impetus for further research on the influence of culture in knowledge-hiding behavior.

Knowledge sabotage as an extreme form of counterproductive knowledge behavior: conceptualization, typology, and empirical demonstration

Purpose

This paper introduces the concept of knowledge sabotage as an extreme form of counterproductive knowledge behavior, presents its typology, and empirically demonstrates its existence in the contemporary organization.

Design/methodology/approach

Through the application of the critical incident technique, this study analyzes 177 knowledge sabotage incidents when employees intentionally provided others with wrong knowledge or deliberately concealed critical knowledge while clearly realizing others’ need for this knowledge and others’ ability to apply it to important work-related tasks.

Findings

Over 40% of employees engaged in knowledge sabotage, and many did so repeatedly. Knowledge saboteurs usually acted against their fellow co-workers, and one-half of all incidents were caused by interpersonal issues resulting from the target’s hostile behavior, failure to provide assistance to others, and poor performance. Knowledge sabotage was often expressed in the form of revenge against a particular individual, who, as a result, may have been reprimanded, humiliated or terminated. Knowledge saboteurs rarely regretted their behavior, which further confirmed the maliciousness of their intentions.

Practical implications

Even though knowledge saboteurs only rarely acted against their organizations purposely, approximately one-half of all incidents produced negative, unintentional consequences to their organizations, such as time waste, failed or delayed projects, lost clients, unnecessary expenses, hiring costs, products being out-of-stock, understaffing, or poor quality of products or services. Organizations should develop comprehensive knowledge sabotage prevention policies. The best way to reduce knowledge sabotage is to improve inter-personal relationships among employees and to foster a friendly and collaborative environment.

Originality/value

This is the first well-documented attempt to understand the phenomenon of knowledge sabotage.

Active users’ knowledge-sharing continuance on social Q&A sites: motivators and hygiene factors

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to focus on active users who are key contributors to online social question-and-answer (Q&A) sites, and examine antecedents of their knowledge-sharing continuance intention, based on expectation-confirmation theory and organizational justice theory.

Design/methodology/approach

Sample data were gathered via an online survey from active users of Naver Knowledge-iN, a popular online social Q&A site in South Korea. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was adopted for data analysis. Moreover, a multi-group analysis was conducted to identify the motivators and hygiene factors of the responders’ knowledge-sharing continuance.

Findings

Except for perceived self-worth, all the antecedents – perceived playfulness, confirmation, perceived justice with sites, and perceived justice with askers – seemed to have a considerable influence on active users’ satisfaction, and therefore their continuance intention. Among them, perceived playfulness was proven to be a motivator, and perceived justice with sites a hygiene factor.

Research limitations/implications

Despite the limitations of a cross-sectional study, this research successfully illustrated that active users’ continuance intention is influenced by perceived playfulness, and not by perceived self-worth. In addition, perceived justice with social Q&A sites was proven to decrease dissatisfaction (i.e. hygiene factor), while perceived playfulness was proven to increase satisfaction (i.e. motivator).

Originality/value

This study differentiates itself from prior research by focusing specifically on active users of social Q&A sites, since their motivating mechanisms are different from normal users. Additionally, the antecedents of knowledge-sharing continuance were categorized into motivators and hygiene factors. This approach affords detailed guidelines to facilitate active users’ knowledge-sharing continuance and to prevent their defection.

Are you a cistern or a channel? Exploring factors triggering knowledge-hiding behavior at the workplace: evidence from the Indian R&D professionals

Purpose

Knowledge is considered as a strategic asset for the organizations, especially for knowledge-intensive firms. Research and development (R&D) is a significant unit in organizations, as it is devoted to knowledge creation and transfer. The success of any R&D project in an organization depends on its innovative value and the transfer of knowledge to the employees. This study aims to focus on factors triggering knowledge-hiding behavior among R&D employees, thus disrupting the knowledge creation in the organization.

Design/methodology/approach

The grounded theory approach has been used to analyze qualitative data collected from 19 in-depth interviews of R&D professionals (middle and junior level) working in Indian pharmaceutical firms.

Findings

The study identified factors that triggered knowledge-hiding behavior among employees. These factors include distrust, competitive work environment, perceived career insecurity, lack of recognition, lack of reciprocation and lack of confidence in own knowledge. In addition, four hiding strategies used by employees to hide their knowledge from their fellow members were explored and identified: playing innocent, being misleader/evasive hiding, rationalized hiding and counter-questioning.

Research limitations/implications

Besides improving the understanding of knowledge-hiding behavior, particularly in the Indian context, this study has implications for both managerial practices and organizational policies.

Originality/value

This paper highlights the factors influencing knowledge-hiding behavior among R&D employees. Knowledge-hiding construct has not been adequately studied; however, it prevails in the organization and has potential to influence various individual- and organizational-level outcomes. In addition, ways of hiding knowledge used by employees were identified and new forms of strategies named “counter-questioning” were found.

Understanding counterproductive knowledge behavior: antecedents and consequences of intra-organizational knowledge hiding

Purpose

This paper aims to explore antecedents and consequences of intra-organizational knowledge hiding.

Design/methodology/approach

A model was developed and tested with data collected from 691 knowledge workers from 15 North American credit unions.

Findings

Knowledge hiding and knowledge sharing belong to unique yet possibly overlapping constructs. Individual employees believe that they engage in knowledge hiding to a lesser degree than their co-workers. The availability of knowledge management systems and knowledge policies has no impact on intra-organizational knowledge hiding. The existence of a positive organizational knowledge culture has a negative effect on intra-organizational knowledge hiding. In contrast, job insecurity motivates knowledge hiding. Employees may reciprocate negative knowledge behavior, and knowledge hiding promotes voluntary turnover.

Practical implications

Managers should realize the uniqueness of counterproductive knowledge behavior and develop proactive measures to reduce or eliminate it.

Originality/value

Counterproductive knowledge behavior is dramatically under-represented in knowledge management research, and this study attempts to fill that void.