Development of a Benefits Ambassadors programme to leverage coworker relationships to increase employee knowledge

Why do academics hide knowledge after coworker ostracism? A moderated mediation model based on relational identification and perceived harming intention

Purpose

Coworker relationships are important in every organization and especially in higher educational institutions (HEIs); however, ostracism is one of the factors that deteriorate these relationships. This study aims to analyse the impact of coworker ostracism on coworker directed knowledge hiding through the mediating role of relational identification and the moderating role of perceived harming intention.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 241 teaching faculty members working in HEIs of Lahore were surveyed. By using the bootstrapping technique, mediation and moderated mediation analysis was conducted via PROCESS models 4 and 7.

Findings

The results concluded that perceived harming intention moderates the indirect relationship between coworker ostracism and coworker-directed knowledge hiding through relational identification with coworkers. Such that when more harmful intention is perceived the impact of coworker ostracism on coworker-directed knowledge hiding through reduced relational identification would be stronger.

Practical implications

This study offers managerial implications for HEIs management and faculty for reducing coworker ostracism, improving relational identification and training about attribution techniques to minimize the impact of ostracism on knowledge hiding.

Originality/value

This study has complimented and augmented the research strand of ostracism and knowledge hiding research from emphasizing lateral workplace relationships. Intertwining the Conservation of Resources Theory with Attribution theory a novel insight into the above-stated association is illuminated through the mediating role of relational capital and moderating role of perceived harming intention.

Relations outside the workplace matter! A nexus of coworker ostracism, relational capital, alternate belongingness and knowledge hiding

Purpose

The current study aims to investigate the impact of coworker ostracism on coworker-directed knowledge hiding through the mediating role of relational social capital and moderating role of alternate belongingness in Pakistani higher educational settings.

Design/methodology/approach

A time-lagged study was carried out in which data from teaching and non-teaching faculty (N = 217) from the higher education sector of Lahore, Pakistan, were collected through multi-stage sampling. The collected data were analysed using moderated mediation analysis (PROCESS model 4 and 7).

Findings

The results revealed that ostracism from coworkers has an unfavourable impact on relational social capital that in turn promotes knowledge hiding. Nonetheless, if ostracized employees had sources to fulfil belongingness needs outside the work settings, this negative association was strengthened.

Originality/value

The authors have taken the role of belongingness outside the workplace in explaining the coworker ostracism and knowledge hiding relationship in higher educational settings and identified the explanatory role of relational social capital.

Who is likely to hide knowledge after peer ostracism? An exchange-based perspective of contact quality and need to belong

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to uncover how peer ostracism (POS) elicits knowledge hiding directed towards ostracizing peers through the intervening role of peer contact quality (PCQ). Moreover, the authors aim to highlight the role of the need to belong (NTB) as a first-order boundary condition in direct and indirect hypothesized paths.

Design/methodology/approach

The research opted for a three-wave time-lagged survey design. The data were obtained from the 234 teaching and non-teaching employees working in Higher Educational Sector in Pakistan through random sampling. Mediation and moderated mediation analysis was done by using PROCESS Models 4 and 7.

Findings

The results embraced the mediation, moderation and moderated mediation hypotheses. It was noted that POS creates negative exchange relationships. As a result, the ostracized employees withhold knowledge from the predating peer. NTB served as a buffering agent between POS and PCQ, as well as, in the indirect POS, PCQ and peer-directed knowledge hiding relationship.

Practical implications

This research serves as a guideline for management and faculty of Higher Educational Institutions for minimization of POS to promote effective collegial contact quality and curb knowledge hiding.

Originality/value

Although the research in workplace ostracism and knowledge hiding is not new, yet how this association emerges from the viewpoint of peers is not known. This study has added to the literature by answering who is more likely to reciprocate ostracism from peers by having poor quality contact and directing knowledge hiding towards the predator. By this, the authors have added to the limited stream of moderated mediation mechanisms underlying ostracism and knowledge hiding behaviour. In addition, the authors have drawn attention to the importance of peer relationships in higher educational settings.