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Predictors of knowledge hiding and organisational success: empirical evidence from Nigeria

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Abstract

Although there are several studies on knowledge hiding (KH) and organisational processes, there is dearth of empirical literature on KH and organisational outcomes. Using the theories of the quest for psychological ownership of knowledge (QPOK), reactance, displaced aggression and social exchange, this study investigated the predictors of KH and their implications for organisational success (OS). The specific objectives were to determine the extent to which QPOK, abusive supervision (ABS), organisational injustice (OINJ), workplace incivility (WPINCV), workplace exclusion (WPE) and unethical leadership (UNEL), influence KH and the influence of KH on OS. The design of the study was a cross-sectional survey of 296 online respondents selected through systematic sampling from multinational and national telecommunications service providers in Nigeria. Structural equation model served as the inferential statistics. The results showed that QPOK, OINJ, WPINCV, WPE are significant predictors of KH. Using these constructs as the measures of KH and using structural equation modelling technique, the QPOK, OINJ and WPE are significant predictors of os, thus indicating that KH has significant influence on organisational success. This study departs from previous studies by showing that QPOK has a positive relationship with KH and OS.

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The study employed primary data and hereby attach the dataset as a supplementary file to this Submission.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Business Administration, Bowen University, Iwo, Nigeria

    Henry Egbezien Inegbedion

  2. Department of Business Studies, Landmark University, Omu Aran, Nigeria

    Ademola Sajuyigbe

  3. Department of Marketing, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria

    Samuel Osifo

  4. Department of Accounting, Bowen University, Iwo, Nigeria

    Dele Imohiosen

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  1. Henry Egbezien Inegbedion
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  3. Samuel Osifo
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Correspondence to Henry Egbezien Inegbedion.

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Ethics approval and consent to participate

The study sought and got ethical approval from the Research Ethical Board of the author’s institution. However, there was no ethical number in the approval, as the author’s institution does not currently issue numbers in its Ethical Approvals. The authors duly informed the sampled respondents about the objective of the research before administering the research instrument to them. The authors made sure of the anonymity of the respondents because there was no indication of personal identifiers on the questionnaire. The authors also made sure of the confidentiality of the data elicited from the respondent. The author also endeavoured to ensure the welfare of the respondents during the collection of data and this culminated in a seamless exercise. The administration of the questionnaires was done only after he respondents gave their affirmative consent, as participation was solely voluntary.

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Appendix

Appendix

S/N

Item

1

2

3

4

5

A

QPOK

     

  1

I like my knowledge to be associated with me

     

  2

I like to take credit for my knowledge contributions at all times

     

  3

I feel motivated when my knowledge remains traceable to me

     

  4

I feel deprived when I share knowledge

     

Abusive supervision

  5

My supervisor is very abusive

     

  6

My supervisor is found of making sarcastic utterances

     

  7

I hardly come to terms with my supervisor’s aggression

     

OINJ

  8

I feel that my organisation is unfair to me

     

  9

My pay is not commensurate with my efforts

     

  10

I don’t get adequate rewards for my numerous contributions

     

  11

Colleagues who are less committed than me earn more than I earn

     

  12

I feel that management is unnecessarily too hard on me

     

WPINCV

  13

My colleagues have a penchant for making nasty comments

     

  14

Backbiting accusations are common in my organisation

     

  15

Disrespectful comments are rampant in my organisation

     

  16

My organisational environment is filled with insults

     

  17

My organisational environment is uncivil

     

WPE

  18

I am socially excluded in my organisation

     

  19

Management deliberately side-lines me on critical issues

     

  20

The degree of exclusion I have in my organisation is oppressive

     

  21

My exclusion in the organisation sometimes makes me look inferior

     

  22

Management deliberately fails to carry me along in all issues

     

UNEL

  23

My organisation’s management sometimes behave unlawfully

     

  24

Management’s impunity in my organisation runs violates moral standards

     

  25

Some of my organisation’s policies contravene ethical standards

     

  26

My organisation’s policies encourage censoring opposing views

     

  27

Management does not see anything wrong in falsifying information

     

  28

My organisation only adheres to convenient moral standards

     

  29

My organisation is insensitive to the employees’ needs

     

Knowledge hiding

  30

I have had cause to hide knowledge from my colleagues

     

  31

I don’t feel guilty hiding knowledge

     

  32

My organisation does not deserve to have my knowledge free

     

  33

I hide knowledge to prevent dilution of control

     

Os

  34

My organisation is not competitive

     

  35

My organisation ought to be better than it is

     

  36

I can’t say my organisation is doing well

     

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Inegbedion, H.E., Sajuyigbe, A., Osifo, S. et al. Predictors of knowledge hiding and organisational success: empirical evidence from Nigeria. Curr Psychol 43, 10016–10028 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05099-7

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