The relationship between Machiavellianism and knowledge hoarding: a moderated mediation model

ABSTRACT

This research examines the relationship between employees’ Machiavellianism and knowledge hoarding. Socioanalytic theory is used to explore the mediating role of knowledge-based psychological ownership, and trait activation theory is used to explore the moderating role of employee relationships. A questionnaire survey was administered to 335 full-time employees in China to collect data for the analysis, which was performed using hierarchical regression and bootstrapping. The results show that Machiavellianism positively predicts knowledge hoarding. Moreover, knowledge-based psychological ownership plays a partial mediating role between Machiavellianism and knowledge hoarding. Both affective relationships and instrumental relationships can moderate the relationship between Machiavellianism and knowledge-based psychological ownership and the mediation of Machiavellianism on knowledge hoarding via knowledge-based psychological ownership. This research enriches the theoretical framework of knowledge hoarding activities and provides theoretical guidance and empirical evidence for organisations seeking to effectively manage negative knowledge activities.

KEYWORDS:

• Machiavellianism
• affective relationships
• instrumental relationships
• knowledge-based psychological ownership
• knowledge hoarding

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [31160201] and the Graduate Training Program of Shanghai Normal University [209-AC9103-20-368005049].