Are overqualified individuals hiding knowledge: the mediating role of negative emotion state

Bei Ma · Jing Zhang

62 citations0/0 files storedJournal of Knowledge Management

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Knowledge Management and Sharing Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior Team Dynamics and Performance

Abstract

Purpose Despite manager’s investments in facilitating knowledge sharing, such as hiring employees with lots of knowledge, knowledge hiding remains prevalent in organizations. It may stem from that less attention has been paid to the relationship between perceived overqualification and knowledge hiding. Drawing on emotion theory, this study aims to build a mediation framework to examine effects of perceived overqualification on knowledge hiding via negative emotion state and moderating role of team positive affective tone. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses a two-wave survey study among 398 knowledge workers from 106 teams in knowledge-intensive industries and tests the hypotheses by performing a series of hierarchical linear modeling analyzes. Findings The results show that a negative emotion state mediates the U-shaped relationship between employees’ perceived overqualification and knowledge hiding behavior. Team positive affective tone moderates the U-shaped relationship between negative emotions and employees’ knowledge hiding behavior. Originality/value This study extends current knowledge management literature by introducing perceived overqualification as an individual predictor of employees’ knowledge hiding behavior and revealing the both light and dark sides of perceived overqualification on knowledge hiding, as well as its intervening mechanism. The research findings help practitioners to curb such counterproductive behaviors.

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References

1988Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales.1988Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales.2001The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions.1998The Emerging Field of Emotion Regulation: An Integrative Review 2004Confidence Limits for the Indirect Effect: Distribution of the Product and Resampling Methods 1996Affective Events Theory: A theoretical discussion of the structure, causes and consequences of affective experiences at work.2009Knowledge sharing: A review and directions for future research 1993RELATIONS BETWEEN WORK GROUP CHARACTERISTICS AND EFFECTIVENESS: IMPLICATIONS FOR DESIGNING EFFECTIVE WORK GROUPS

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