Person related workplace bullying and knowledge hiding behaviors: relational psychological contract breach as an underlying mechanism
Journal of Knowledge Management
ISSN: 1367-3270
Article publication date: 28 July 2022
Issue publication date: 5 May 2023
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the direct relationship between person-related workplace bullying and dimensions of knowledge hiding. In addition, this study also intends to explore how relational psychological contract breach (RPCB) mediates bulling and knowledge hiding.
Design/methodology/approach
This study has used a survey-based research design to collect the data. The data were collected in three-time lags from 494 individuals working in IT-based firms (software houses) located in Pakistan. The data were analyzed through the variance-based structural equation modeling technique. For this purpose, the authors used SmartPLS3 software.
Findings
This study revealed that person-related workplace bullying impacts playing dumb and evasive knowledge hiding both directly and indirectly. In addition to this, person-related bullying does not affect rationalized knowledge hiding. This study also found that RPCB mediates the relationship between person-related bullying and knowledge hiding dimensions.
Practical implications
This study offers important implications for IT firms, including software houses. The findings imply that organizations should discourage person-related workplace bullying to reduce employees’ intention to engage in knowledge-hiding behavior. Moreover, the management of these firms should develop a culture of interpersonal trust among employees so that they can care for the relational psychological contract.
Originality/value
This study is amongst the few types of research that has investigated the impact of person-related bullying on different forms of knowledge hiding behavior through the mediating role of RPCB.
Keywords
Citation
Bari, M.W., Khan, Q. and Waqas, A. (2023), "Person related workplace bullying and knowledge hiding behaviors: relational psychological contract breach as an underlying mechanism", Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 27 No. 5, pp. 1299-1318. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-10-2021-0766
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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