Knowledge Hiding Dynamics in Organizational Behavior

Knowledge hiding has emerged as a critical phenomenon in the study of organisational behaviour, defined as the intentional concealment of information or expertise requested by colleagues. It encompasses various strategies—such as evasive hiding, playing dumb and rationalised hiding—that individuals may adopt in response to interpersonal conflict, competition for resources or perceptions of unfairness. Research highlights a dual dynamic: while knowledge hiding can function as a coping mechanism to mitigate psychological strain or preserve personal advantage, it often triggers negative spirals, eroding trust, inhibiting collaboration and undermining team creativity and innovation. Antecedents include abusive supervision, high task conflict, low relational social capital and certain personality traits operating under particular work climates. Conversely, ethical leadership, knowledge-oriented leadership and supportive motivational environments can attenuate hiding behaviours by fostering reciprocity and organisational justice. The global significance of these dynamics is underscored by their impact across sectors—from hospitality and healthcare to high-tech firms—where timely information exchange is vital. Understanding the interplay of motivators, contextual moderators and practical interventions offers managers concrete pathways to cultivate transparent knowledge flows and resilient knowledge-sharing cultures.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have examined knowledge hiding within flexible working contexts. One investigation applied a yin–yang cognitive frame to explore how remote work time interacts with knowledge sharing and hiding, demonstrating that moderate remote working yields optimal career development when knowledge sharing is high and knowledge hiding is low. This work emphasises nonlinear effects and the symbiotic nature of sharing and hiding in digital environments, signalling the need for balanced knowledge exchange strategies in hybrid and remote settings.

Knowledge Hiding Dynamics in Organizational Behavior publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in knowledge hiding dynamics in organizational behavior across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Knowledge hiding: Intentional concealment or withholding of knowledge requested by another individual.

Knowledge sabotage: Deliberate actions to distort or withhold information with the intent to harm organisational performance or individuals.

Evasive hiding: Providing incomplete or misleading responses while giving the impression of cooperation.

Playing dumb: Pretending ignorance of requested information to avoid sharing.

Rationalised hiding: Justifying the withholding of knowledge by citing legitimate external constraints.

References

1. The influence of motivations to share knowledge in preventing knowledge sabotage occurrences: An empirically tested motivational model. Technological Forecasting and Social Change (2023).
2. Knowledge Hiding Behaviors and Team Creativity: The Contingent Role of Perceived Mastery Motivational Climate. SAGE Open (2019).
3. Be smart, play dumb? A transactional perspective on day-specific knowledge hiding, interpersonal conflict, and psychological strain. Human Relations (2021).
4. Ethical Leadership and Knowledge Hiding: A Moderated Mediation Model of Relational Social Capital, and Instrumental Thinking. Frontiers in Psychology (2019).
5. Tit for Tat: Abusive Supervision and Knowledge Hiding-The Role of Psychological Contract Breach and Psychological Ownership. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2020).
6. Dealing with knowledge hiding to improve innovation capabilities in the hotel industry: The unconventional role of knowledge-oriented leadership. Journal of Business Research (2022).
7. Relational climates moderate the effect of openness to experience on knowledge hiding: a two-country multi-level study. Journal of Knowledge Management (2021).
8. Towards Explaining Knowledge Hiding through Relationship Conflict, Frustration, and Irritability: The Case of Public Sector Teaching Hospitals. Sustainability (2021).
9. Does knowledge based psychological ownership matter? Transformational leadership and knowledge hiding: A proposed framework. Journal of Business & Retail Management Research (2017).
10. Working from anywhere: yin–yang cognition paradoxes of knowledge sharing and hiding for developing careers in China. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (2023).