Interpersonal conflict at work and knowledge hiding in service organizations : the mediator role of employee well-being

Purpose This paper aims to explore the effects of interpersonal conflicts in the social workplace on various rationalized, knowledge-hiding behaviors in service organizations. This research also examines employee well-being as a mediator to explain the effects of interpersonal conflicts at work on knowledge-hiding behaviors. Design/methodology/approach First, relevant literature provided the theoretical basis for the conceptual model that links the core constructs of this research. A quantitative study collected data from 395 employees of a global consulting firm with a branch located in a developing country. Finally, an analysis of the structural equation modeling with MPlus 7 software tested the measurement and the structural model. Findings The results of this study suggest that interpersonal conflict at work influences knowledge-hiding and that employee’s well-being mediates this relationship. In other words, employees strategically choose what knowledge-hiding behaviors to use – such as evasion or “playing dumb” – to cope with the lack of well-being caused by high interpersonal conflicts in the workplace. Originality/value Although contextual and individual factors may trigger knowledge-hiding behavior at work, the current literature has overlooked the combined effects of such factors, especially in service settings. Knowledge hiding in service organizations is a weakness that can lead to significant economic losses, especially in firms that are intensively knowledge-based. Thus, it is necessary to identify the antecedents of knowledge-hiding behavior to deter low performance in these organizations.

• Autores: Losada Otálora, Mauricio; Peña García, Nathalie; Sánchez, Iván Darío
• Tipo de recurso: Article of investigation
• Fecha de publicación: 2020
• Institución: Colegio de Estudios Superiores de Administración
• Repositorio: Repositorio CESA
• Idioma: eng
• OAI Identifier: oai:repository.cesa.edu.co:10726/5061
• Acceso en línea: http://hdl.handle.net/10726/5061; https://doi.org/10.1108/IJQSS-02-2020-0023
• Palabra clave: Interpersonal conflict at work; Knowledge hiding; Employee well-being; Service organizations; Professional service firm; Service operations
• License: Acceso Restringido