The Impact of Knowledge Hiding on Entrepreneurial Orientation: The Mediating Role of Factual Autonomy

Constantin Bratianu, Rares Mocanu (), Dan Florin Stanescu and Ruxandra Bejinaru
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Constantin Bratianu: UNESCO Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Business Administration, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Piata Romana 6, Sector 1, 010731 Bucharest, Romania
Rares Mocanu: Department of Management, Faculty of Management, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, Blvd. Expozitiei 30A, Sector 1, 012104 Bucharest, Romania
Dan Florin Stanescu: Department of Communication, Faculty of Communication and Public Relations, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, Blvd. Expozitiei 30A, Sector 1, 012104 Bucharest, Romania

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 17, 1-21

Abstract: Knowledge plays a pivotal role as a strategic asset for organizations that aim to improve and sustain competitive advantage. Despite the implementation of knowledge management systems to promote knowledge sharing, many employees exhibit knowledge-hiding behavior, deliberately withholding crucial information in the workplace. In this context, the current study aims to investigate the impact of knowledge-hiding behavior on entrepreneurial orientation (EO) within organizations. Specifically, we seek to explore how knowledge hiding influences employees’ inclination towards entrepreneurial behaviors such as innovation, risk-taking, and proactiveness. By examining the potential negative effects of knowledge hiding on entrepreneurial behaviors, we aim to identify barriers to innovation and risk taking in organizations. Furthermore, we examine the mediating role of factual autonomy in the relationship between knowledge hiding and entrepreneurial orientation. Understanding the mediating role of factual autonomy can provide valuable insights into the mechanisms through which knowledge hiding impacts entrepreneurial behavior. Additionally, we aimed to investigate the impact of knowledge hiding on organizational-level outcomes, specifically entrepreneurial orientation, and job autonomy. To investigate this phenomenon, we conducted a cross-sectional multilevel study involving 214 employees from 16 different companies in the Romanian business sector, including telecom, banking, retail, services, and IT&C. Our findings reveal that knowledge hiding has a significant impact on job autonomy and entrepreneurial orientation. The proposed model accounted for 45.9% of the variance in entrepreneurial orientation and 37.7% of the variance in job autonomy. These results have important implications for both theory and practice, highlighting the need for further exploration into how knowledge hiding impacts different aspects of organizational work design. The present examination serves as a valuable research platform for understanding the multidimensional irregularities within organizations and highlights the importance of addressing knowledge hiding behavior to foster a culture of innovation and risk-taking in organizations.

Keywords: knowledge sharing; knowledge hiding; knowledge management; factual autonomy; entrepreneurial orientation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:17:p:13057-:d:1228708

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