A German translation and adaptation of the knowledge hiding scale

Knowledge hiding, defined as any deliberate act of withholding company-related knowledge from coworkers, has increasingly attracted attention in the scientific literature due to its detrimental impact on organizational performance and dynamics. Despite this growing interest, critical gaps remain regarding the reliable measurement of knowledge hiding across different languages. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to translate, validate, and adapt the knowledge hiding scale by Connelly et al. (2012) for application in German-speaking work environments. To capture different conceptualizations of knowledge hiding, two versions were developed: one situation-specific scale (corresponding to the original scale) and one situation-independent scale. The latter was designed to enable the assessment of knowledge hiding as a relatively stable behavioral tendency, independent of situational factors. Each version was examined in an independent study involving employees from the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland; N = 480 per study). In Study 1, the original items were translated into German using a back-translation approach; in Study 2, the items were adapted to capture situation-independent behavior. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were performed, replicating the original three-factor structure for both scales. Associations with conceptually related and theoretically opposing constructs provided evidence for both scales as distinct measures of knowledge hiding. Assessing temporal stability via test-retest reliability in Study 2 showed moderate temporal stability, indicating the situation-independent scale's suitability for measuring knowledge hiding as a relatively stable tendency. Together, the two scales enable a differentiated assessment of knowledge hiding in both situation-specific and situation-independent contexts within German-speaking settings.