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Person related workplace bullying and knowledge hiding behaviors: relational psychological contract breach as an underlying mechanism

Muhammad Waseem Bari (Lyallpur Business School, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan)
Qurrahtulain Khan (Department of Public Administration, University of Kotli Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Kotli, Pakistan)
Asad Waqas (Lyallpur Business School, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan)

Journal of Knowledge Management

ISSN: 1367-3270

Article publication date: 28 July 2022

Issue publication date: 5 May 2023

1095

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

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited

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