Modeling the influence of individual differences on knowledge hiding

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the longitudinal influence of gender, age, education level, organizational tenure and emotional intelligence on three dimensions of knowledge hiding over time. Design/methodology/approach A longitudinal study using two-wave data sets of 390 employees in Chinese enterprises was conducted to build fixed, continuous and interacting models for investigating the effects of individual differences on the processes of knowledge hiding over time. Findings This research uncovered the changing relationships of individual differences on knowledge-hiding behaviors over time, such that age correlates with rationalized hiding in the interacting model, indicating younger employees are less likely to choose rationalized hiding when facing situation changes; and education level, organizational tenure and emotional intelligence moderate knowledge hiding over time, implying individuals with better education, longer tenure and higher emotional intelligence tend to exhibit more rationalized hiding behaviors rather than evasive hiding and playing dumb behaviors at Time 2. Originality/value One of the novel contributions of this study is that it tests the longitudinal effect of individual differences on knowledge hiding, providing a vertical perspective, and thereby contributing to the body of knowledge in knowledge management. The study also constructs fixed, continuous and interacting models to measure the covering longitudinal influences, thus making the research original.

When leadership goes awry: the nexus between tyrannical leadership and knowledge hiding

“…Moreover, our findings indicate that age does not significantly impact knowledge hiding, which contrasts with the findings of Zhang et al (2022). Their study suggested that age plays a moderating role in rationalised hiding behaviour over time.…”

“…This tendency is more prominent in senior employees. Our study revealed no significant differences in knowledge-hiding behaviours based on education level, which contrasts with the findings of Zhang et al (2022). In their study, they observed that individuals with higher levels of education tend to engage in knowledge hiding to a greater extent as time progresses.…”

Examining the effect of knowledge hiding towards individual task performance: the moderating role of transformational leadership

“…Other recent studies have also emphasized the significance of knowledge sharing in reducing knowledge hiding and the role of organizational justice in enhancing overall performance (Mahmood et al, 2023). According to Zhang et al (2022), who investigated how individual differences influenced knowledge-hiding behaviors over time, age correlated with rationalized hiding, while education level, organizational tenure, and emotional intelligence moderated knowledge hiding. Moreover, Sofyan et al (2023) revealed that the counterproductive nature of highly competitive organizational climates encouraged employees to hide knowledge intentionally.…”

“…Moreover, recent studies by Mahmood et al (2023) emphasized the significance of knowledge sharing in reducing knowledge hiding and highlighted the role of organizational justice in enhancing overall performance. Zhang et al (2022) further investigated the evolving relationships between individual differences and knowledgehiding behaviors over time, revealing that age was associated with rationalized hiding, with younger employees less likely to choose this behavior amid situational changes.…”

Does political skill promote knowledge hiding? An impression management perspective

“…1. individual factors, such as individual beliefs (Jiang et al, 2019), motivation (S ˇkerlavaj et al, 2018;Soral et al, 2022), emotion (Ma and Zhang, 2021;Zhang et al, 2022), personality traits (Anand and Jain, 2014) and demographics (Peng, 2013); 2. knowledge characteristics, such as knowledge complexity (Connelly et al, 2012) and importance of knowledge (Huo et al, 2016);…”