Abstract:
Knowledge hiding, a deliberate attempt to withhold critical information,
becomes a passive form of resistance to perceived mistreatment. In this study,
grounded in displaced aggression theory (DAT), we argue that abusive
supervision fosters a psychological atmosphere where employees, feeling
incapable or reluctant to challenge their supervisors, project their frustration
onto their peers by withholding valuable knowledge. Furthermore, we examine
power distance orientation, where employees who accept hierarchical authority
may be more likely to share knowledge than hide it, aligning with organizational
norms. We employed a quantitative research design using a survey
methodology. Data were collected using a convenience sampling method from a
sample of 215 employees in Sri Lankan IT organizations. Correlation analysis
revealed a significant positive relationship between abusive supervision and
coworker-directed knowledge hiding (r = .39, p < .01). The hierarchical
regression showed that abusive supervision significantly predicted knowledge
hiding (β = .30, p < .001), and moderation analysis demonstrated that power
distance orientation significantly moderated the relationship between abusive
supervision and knowledge hiding (interaction term β = −.24, p < .05).
Employees with low power distance orientation showed a stronger positive
relationship (β = .39, SE = 0.07, p < .001). Conversely, the relationship was
weaker among those with high power distance orientation (β = .18, SE = 0.06, p
< .001). These findings highlight the need for organizations to actively monitor
and address abusive supervisory behavior, particularly in culturally diverse
settings. This study is limited by its cross-sectional design, which restricts the
ability to infer causality. Future research could adopt a longitudinal design to
establish causal relationships more firmly.
