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How and when intragroup relationship conflict leads to knowledge hiding: the roles of envy and trait competitiveness

He Peng (School of Management, Fudan University, Shanghai, China)
Chris Bell (Schulich School of Business, York University, Toronto, Canada)
Yiran Li (School of Management, Fudan University, Shanghai, China)

International Journal of Conflict Management

ISSN: 1044-4068

Article publication date: 13 November 2020

Issue publication date: 25 May 2021

1440

Abstract

Purpose

Although studies have demonstrated that knowledge hiding is an important inhibitor of organizational innovation, current research does not clearly address how intragroup relationship conflict influences knowledge hiding. This study aims to identify the underlying mechanism between intra-group relationship conflict and knowledge hiding.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on affective events theory (AET), the authors propose a theoretical model and empirically test it by applying hierarchical regression analysis and a bootstrapping approach to data from a multi-wave survey of 224 employees in China.

Findings

Consistent with AET, the empirical results show that envy mediates perceived intragroup relationship conflict and knowledge hiding. As predicted, trait competitiveness moderates the indirect effect of perceived intragroup relationship conflict on knowledge hiding via envy.

Originality/value

The results support an AET perspective whereby knowledge hiding is shaped by relationship conflict, envy and trait competitiveness. This study introduces the novel proposition that relationship conflict and competitiveness influence envy, and consequently knowledge hiding.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This research was funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 71772047) and Pujiang Talent Program (Grant No. 14PJC009).

Citation

Peng, H., Bell, C. and Li, Y. (2021), "How and when intragroup relationship conflict leads to knowledge hiding: the roles of envy and trait competitiveness", International Journal of Conflict Management, Vol. 32 No. 3, pp. 383-406. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCMA-03-2020-0041

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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