Abusive supervision and knowledge hiding: the mediating role of psychological contract violation and supervisor directed aggression
Journal of Knowledge Management
ISSN: 1367-3270
Article publication date: 10 December 2019
Issue publication date: 12 March 2020
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to test the relationship between abusive supervision and employee’s knowledge hiding behaviour among Indian information technology (IT) employees. The paper also strives to theoretically discuss and then seek empirical evidence to the two mediational paths (namely, psychological contract violation and supervisor directed aggression) that explain the focal relationship between abusive supervision and knowledge hiding.
Design/methodology/approach
To test the proposed hypotheses, the study draws cross-sectional data from Indian IT employees working in various IT firms in India. Data were collected at two time points (T1 and T2) separated by one month to counter the priming effect and neutralize any threat of common method bias. The final sample of 270 valid and complete responses was analysed using SmartPLS 3 to test the hypotheses.
Findings
Results showed that abusive supervision is positively related to employee’s knowledge hiding behaviours. Also, both psychological contract violation and supervisor directed aggression partially mediates the abusive supervision-knowledge hiding behaviour linkage.
Originality/value
First, the current study has tested the positive relationship between abusive supervision and knowledge hiding behaviours unlike most of the previous investigations that have focussed on knowledge sharing behaviour (the two are different constructs having different antecedents). Second, the study also empirically investigated the two parallel mediational routes, namely, psychological contract violation and supervisor directed aggression that explains the blame attributed by the beleaguered employee that led to covert retaliatory behaviour, such as knowledge hiding.
Keywords
Citation
Pradhan, S., Srivastava, A. and Mishra, D.K. (2020), "Abusive supervision and knowledge hiding: the mediating role of psychological contract violation and supervisor directed aggression", Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 24 No. 2, pp. 216-234. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-05-2019-0248
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited