KNOWLEDGE HIDING BEHAVIOR AMONG FACULTY MEMBERS AT PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN PAKISTAN: AN AFFECTIVE EVENTS THEORY PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This study aims to explore the effect of negative reciprocity on negative affective reactions and subsequently negative affective reactions' impact on knowledge hiding behavior. The mediating role of negative affective reactions among negative reciprocity and knowledge hiding behavior has also been assessed. Moreover, the present study examines the moderating effect of agreeableness on the relationship between negative reciprocity and negative affective reactions. Data were collected from public sector universities in Pakistan using purposive sampling. A total of 213 valid questionnaires were taken for the final data analysis. The relationships based on the hypothesis were tested by performing PLS-SEM. The results reveal that negative reciprocity is the key driver of instigating negative affective emotions among individuals. Following that, negative affective reactions also are the cause of prevalent knowledge hiding behavior in people. Furthermore, negative affective reactions intervened in the relationship between negative reciprocity and knowledge hiding behavior. However, agreeableness does not moderate the relationship between negative reciprocity and negative affective reactions. The study can be used to find out why and how knowledge is hidden by workers and how it can be controlled. The results of this research can be applied by managers, executives, and leaders to different business scenarios. Strategies can be developed to mitigate the undesirable behaviors of workers, i.e., knowledge hiding behavior. Moreover, this study will help policymakers to develop certain policies that can be implemented by managers in organizations to achieve strategic goals and objectives by avoiding negative events and reducing negative behavior, such as knowledge hiding. Knowledge hiding is a growing field that started emerging in the last decade and requires special attention. There is also a dearth of research that uses the affective event theory as the underpinning theory to predict individuals’ knowledge hiding behaviors. This study enhances our perception on the significance of the knowledge hiding behavior and its relation to negative reciprocity, negative affective reactions, and agreeableness by incorporating the affective events theory perspective.