Why do knowledge workers choose knowledge hiding: the mediating role of perceived stress

Area of Science:

• Organizational Behavior
• Psychology
• Management Science

Background:

• Knowledge hiding is a significant challenge to organizational innovation and performance.
• Understanding the drivers and moderators of knowledge hiding is crucial for effective collaboration.
• Existing theories provide a framework for exploring workplace dynamics and their impact on knowledge sharing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of workplace ostracism and task complexity on knowledge hiding.
• To examine the mediating role of perceived stress in the relationship between workplace factors and knowledge hiding.
• To explore the moderating effect of perceived pay fairness on stress-induced knowledge hiding.

Main Methods:

• A two-wave survey was conducted with 330 knowledge workers in Beijing.
• Validated scales were used to measure workplace ostracism, task complexity, perceived stress, knowledge hiding, and perceived pay fairness.
• Hierarchical regression, confirmatory factor analysis, and bootstrapping were employed for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Workplace ostracism and task complexity significantly predicted knowledge hiding.
• Perceived stress partially mediated the relationship between workplace factors and knowledge hiding.
• Perceived pay fairness negatively moderated the effects of perceived stress and indirect effects of workplace factors on knowledge hiding.

Conclusions:

• Perceived stress is a key mechanism linking workplace factors to knowledge hiding.
• Perceived pay fairness acts as a crucial boundary condition, mitigating stress-induced knowledge hiding.
• Organizations should focus on fair compensation, inclusive environments, and manageable task demands to reduce knowledge hiding.