BURNOUT, STRESS, AND SECRETS: THE MODERATING EFFECTS OF PERCEIVED ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT ON KNOWLEDGE HIDING IN THE WORKPLACE

Abstract

This study examined the relationships among job role stress, burnout, perceived organizational support (POS), and knowledge hiding in the workplace. Drawing from Conservation of Resource theory, knowledge hiding, an intentional attempt by an individual to withhold or conceal knowledge that has been requested by another person (Connelly et al., 2012), was conceptualized as a resource-protection behavior that may emerge under conditions of stress and resource depletion. Using a cross-sectional survey of 280 full-time employees in the United States, multiple regression and moderation analyses were conducted to test direct and interactive effects. The results showed that employees who experienced higher burnout were more likely to engage in knowledge hiding. Unexpectedly, employees who reported higher perceived organizational support (POS) also reported more knowledge hiding when the other variables were taken into account. A significant three-way interaction emerged between job role stress, burnout, and perceived organizational support seemed to reduce knowledge hiding when employees were experiencing both high stress and high burnout. These findings suggest that organizational support may only help reduce knowledge hiding under particularly stressful and demanding conditions, which shows the importance of considering employee resource states when examining knowledge-related behaviors and suggest that organizational support may be most effective when employees are experiencing high levels of strain.