Antecedents and Consequences of Knowledge Hiding: A literature review

Abstract

Knowledge hiding is one of the topics that has received attention from many scholars in the fields of knowledge management and human resource management. Knowledge hiding is an intentional attempt by a person to conceal or withhold knowledge requested by someone else. The spread of this negative human behavior can have harmful outcomes for organizations, such as diminished creativity, individual and team performance, and increased employee turnover. Therefore, the managers must be aware of the causing factors of knowledge hiding and its negative consequences. The purpose of this study is to offer a model of antecedents and negative consequences of knowledge hiding. To this end, we have analyzed all studies in knowledge hiding literature between 2012 and 2020 through a systematic literature review. Besides, this paper has categorized the extracted antecedents of knowledge hiding from the studies into a Delphi panel in 8 levels using experts' opinions: "organizational culture," "personal attitude," "personality traits and behavioral characteristics," "leadership," "supervision," "interpersonal relationships," "characteristics of knowledge," and "job" related factors. This study will help organizations face knowledge hiding behaviors to gain a correct understanding of the antecedents of knowledge hiding and its harmful consequences. Finally, this paper will be helpful for the academic community in the path of further exploration in this field.