A Study Of The Relationship Between Power Distance,leadership Member Exchange Relationships,and Knowledge Hiding In Nurse Teams

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between power distance,leadership member exchange relationship,and knowledge hiding behavior in nurse teams.Through the empirical study,we will analyze in depth the mechanism of the role of leadership member exchange relationship between power distance and knowledge hiding behavior in nurse teams,in order to improve the leadership member exchange relationship from the perspective of power,thus effectively reducing knowledge hiding behavior in nurse teams and improving the overall efficiency and performance of nurse teams.By providing a theoretical basis and feasible ways to promote knowledge sharing and reduce knowledge hiding behaviors in nurse teams.MethodsA questionnaire survey was conducted on 498 nurses from 5 public hospitals in Anhui Province from January to March 2020.The research tools were general information questionnaire,power distance scale,leadership-member exchange relationship scale,and knowledge hiding behavior scale.Epi Data3.0 software was used to establish a database,and SPSS23.0 software was used to conduct t-test,one-way ANOVA,correlation analysis and regression analysis.Amos23.0 was used as a basis to create a structural equation model.Results1.The total score of knowledge hiding behavior of the nurse team(16.29±6.29)with mean score(1.36±0.54)and the highest to lowest dimensional mean scores were rationalization hiding(5.53±2.46),acting stupid hiding(5.50±2.50),and shirking hiding(5.26±2.18).Total nurse team power distance score(13.41±4.30)with mean score(2.43±0.72)and total leader-member exchange relationship score(25.97±5.32)with mean score(3.71±0.63).2.There was a statistically significant difference(p<0.05)in the scores of nurse team knowledge hiding behavior in terms of both age and education;there was no statistically significant difference in the leader-member exchange relationship in terms of demographic variables;and there was a statistically significant difference(p<0.05)in the scores of nurse team power distance in terms of age.3.The correlation coefficient levels of nurse team power distance and push-off distance,pretend to hide foolishness,and reasonable hiding were 0.256(P<0.01),0.305(P<0.01),and 0.302(P<0.01),respectively,which were positively correlated.The levels of correlation coefficients of leader-member exchange relationship with push-off distance,play dumb to hide,and reasonable to hide were-0.359(p<0.01),-0.292(p<0.01),and-0.340(p<0.01),respectively,which were negatively correlated.4.The predictive relationship between nurses’ team power distance on knowledge hiding behavior was positively significant(β=0.373,P<0.01)and the predictive relationship between leader-member exchange relationship on knowledge hiding behavior was negatively significant(β=--0.397,P<0.01).4.Nurse team power distance was able to positively predict nurse team knowledge hiding behavior and could predict 13.1% of the variance of nurse team knowledge hiding behavior.5.Nursing team power distance was a positive predictor of knowledge hiding behavior,while leader-member exchange relationship was a negative predictor of nurse team knowledge hiding behavior and together predicted 24% of the total variance in knowledge hiding behavior.6.Leader-member exchange relationship played a partially mediating role between power distance and knowledge hiding behavior in nurse teams.The structural equation model of mediating effects constructed in this study fit well.Conclusion1.The power distance of the nurse team was at a moderate to low level,the quality of the exchange relationship between the leading members was at a moderate to high level,and the knowledge hiding behavior was at a low level.2.General demographic data showed that gender,age,and education influenced the power distance of the nurse team as well as knowledge hiding behavior.3.Nurse team power distance was positively correlated with knowledge hiding behavior and negatively correlated with leadership member exchange relationship quality.The quality of leadership member exchange relationship was negatively correlated with knowledge hiding behavior in nurse teams.Nurse team power distance and leadership member exchange relationship quality had a direct predictive effect on knowledge hiding behavior.4.The quality of leadership members’ exchange relationships partially mediated between nurse team power distance and knowledge hiding behavior.It is suggested that nurse managers can reduce power distance and decrease the occurrence of knowledge hiding by improving the quality of leadership member exchange relationships with nurses.