How and when does leader knowledge hiding trickle down the organisational hierarchy in the tourism context? A team-level analysis

Abstract

This research aims to extend the literature on knowledge hiding and tourism by integrating the theoretical frameworks of social exchange and social learning. Employee knowledge hiding has scarcely been examined in the tourism literature while leader knowledge hiding has not been analysed at all. Recognising that knowledge hiding can seriously undermine the ability of employees to offer innovative customer service and that leaders’ knowledge hiding may trigger knowledge hiding chain reactions among tourism employees, this study attempts to fill this gap. Utilising multi-source, multi-timed and multi-level data, we hypothesise a multi-level mediation wherein leader knowledge hiding trickles down to employee knowledge hiding, which, in turn, negatively affects team organisational citizenship behaviour and positively affects team interpersonal deviance. The “trickle-down” effect of leader knowledge hiding to employee knowledge hiding is then positively moderated by perceived organisational politics, which amplifies this relationship. Relevant theoretical and managerial implications are presented.