The effect of workplace bullying on knowledge sharing of the employees in scientific and technological enterprises: a moderated mediation model.

Purpose: This study aims to understand how workplace bullying affects knowledge sharing among employees in Chinese scientific and technological enterprises.

Methodology: A convenience sampling method was employed to survey 275 employees from scientific and technological enterprises of Yangtze River Delta, China. The survey utilized a general information questionnaire, a workplace bullying scale, an organizational belonging scale, a knowledge sharing scale, and a forbearance scale. A moderated mediation model was set up, and the hierarchical regression and the bootstrapping method were applied.

Findings: The empirical results indicated that workplace bullying has a negative effect on the knowledge sharing, and organization belonging has played mediating effect. Furthermore, Forbearance not only moderated the effect of workplace bullying on organizational belonging, but also moderated the mediated effect of organization belonging, and the effect will be stronger when employees are at a lower level of forbearance.

Implications: This study offers important implications for scientific and technological enterprises. The findings imply that enterprises should discourage person-related workplace bullying to increase employees' intention to engage in knowledge-sharing behavior. Moreover, the manager of these firms should develop a culture of family so that they can care for the organization belonging.