Does Co-worker Incivility Increase Perceived Knowledge Hiding? The Mediating Role of Work Engagement and Turnover Intentions and the Moderating Role of Cynicism

Abstract

Drawing upon the conservation of resources theory, we investigate the serial mediation relationship between co-worker incivility, work engagement, turnover intentions and knowledge hiding. We also examine the moderating effects of employee cynicism in the incivility–knowledge–hiding relationship through work engagement. We found that the negative relationship between co-worker incivility and knowledge hiding is complex and mediated by work engagement and turnover intentions. Incivility, as a negative workplace stressor, triggers a negative work-related state of mind (work engagement) and withdrawal cognition (turnover intentions), which in turn lead to knowledge hiding (behaviour). Finally, the mediated relationship between incivility and knowledge hiding through work engagement was moderated by cynicism, such that the association is more robust when cynicism is high.