Do HR systems and relational climates affect knowledge hiding? An experiment and two-source multi-level study

Various factors can hinder the competitive advantage of an organization, one of them being knowledge hiding. We draw on social exchange, norms of reciprocity, and contextual theories to propose that the negative relationship between perceived co-worker support and knowledge hiding happens in particular contexts. We expand previous studies in delineating that the organizational context can be both designed (human resource systems in place) or emerging (relational climates) and that aligning both contexts can further influence the main relationship. An experimental study of 178 HR students and a field study of 155 individuals nested in 30 teams provide partial support for our key hypotheses that a three-way interaction between commitment and compliance HR systems as well as communal sharing and market pricing climates can impact the negative relationship between co-worker support and knowledge hiding. Future knowledge hiding studies therefore need to investigate both designed and emerging contexts together rather than separately.