The Moderated Mediation Models Of Leader-Member Exchange Social Comparison,Knowledge Hiding Behavior And Creativity

The knowledge management is vital for the growth,competitiveness,and long-term sustainability of an organization.Despite efforts to encourage knowledge sharing in organizations,researchers have recognized that employees are reluctant to share knowledge and purposely hide the knowledge demanded by their colleagues at the workplace.This dissertation conducts a series of studies to investigate a new antecedent,mediator,boundary conditions,and outcome of knowledge hiding behavior.The first study integrates social comparison theory with leader-member exchange(LMX)literature and proposes that an employees’ upward leader-member exchange social comparison(LMXSC)might be the possible antecedent of knowledge hiding behavior.The study also introduces employees’ feelings of envy as the underlying mediating mechanism to explain the possible relationship between upward LMXSC and knowledge hiding behavior.Moreover,we propose that cooperative and competitive goal interdependence of individual employee and his/her coworkers as a key boundary condition to outline the positive relationship of upward LMXSC and knowledge hiding behavior via feelings of envy(Model 1).Based on one multi-wave(Study 1A:n=1131),and one multi-source and multi-wave data(Study 1B:n=379)collected from China,we find that upward LMXSC is the possible interpersonal predictor of knowledge hiding behavior.More specifically,the findings of this study reveal that feelings of envy instigated from upward LMXSC translated into knowledge hiding behavior.In addition,we find for model 1,that is,the influence of upward LMXSC on knowledge hiding behavior through feelings of envy is weaker(stronger)at the high(low)value of cooperative goals interdependence and low(high)value of competitive goals interdependence.The second study proposes a theoretical model 2 linking upward LMXSC and creativity.This study examines the indirect—via knowledge hiding behavior—relationship between employees perceived upward leader-member exchange social comparison(LMXSC)and their creativity.Moreover,we propose that power distance orientation of employees as a key boundary condition outline the relationship of upward LMXSC and creativity via knowledge hiding behavior(Model 2).The proposed model 2 is tested by multi-wave,and multi-source data(n=308)collected from Pakistan.The findings of this study reveal that upward LMXSC hinders employees’ creativity via their knowledge hiding behavior.Moreover,the indirect effect is statistically significant for employees with low power distance orientation,but it is not significant for employees with high power distance orientation.This dissertation contributes to the literature on leadership,knowledge management,and creativity.This dissertation introduces a new interpersonal predictor of knowledge hiding behavior,namely,Leader-member exchange social comparison(LMXSC).This dissertation integrates social comparison theory with LMX literature to offer new insights into the mechanisms and boundary conditions associated with the relationship of upward LMXSC with knowledge hiding behavior.This dissertation also offers a novel insight by illustrating that knowledge hiding behavior in response to upward LMXSC is a pivotal mechanism that explains why employees with low LMX are less likely to be creative,as well as offer new insights in-to boundary conditions associated with the relationship of upward LMXSC and creativity.This dissertation also provides insightful implications for managers to minimize knowledge hiding behavior and to enhance the creativity of employees.