Title: What do we actually hide: conceptual and measurement challenges of knowledge hiding research

Authors: Kaiyu Yang; Vincent Ribiere; Alex Bennet

Addresses: Institute for Knowledge and Innovation Southeast Asia (IKI-SEA), Bangkok University, 9/1 Moo 5 Phaholyothin Road, Klong 1, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand ' Institute for Knowledge and Innovation Southeast Asia (IKI-SEA), Bangkok University, 9/1 Moo 5 Phaholyothin Road, Klong 1, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand ' Institute for Knowledge and Innovation Southeast Asia (IKI-SEA), Bangkok University, 9/1 Moo 5 Phaholyothin Road, Klong 1, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand; Mountain Quest Institute, 75 Mountain Quest Lane, Mountain Quest Institute, WV-92, Marlinton, WV 24954, USA

Abstract: Since the knowledge hiding concept was identified a decade ago, significant progress has been made in deciphering the antecedents and consequences of this detrimental behaviour of individuals in organisations. Previous knowledge hiding studies focused very little attention on what type of knowledge [knowledge (informing), codified/explicit knowledge, or tacit knowledge] was hidden when investigating the claimed concept. Starting with a systematic literature review that identifies 'non-sharing' publications followed by a thorough examination of existing empirical research on knowledge hiding, this conceptual paper revisits the concept of 'knowledge' and its nature. It concludes that 'knowledge hiding' has not yet been adequately investigated and that the knowledge hiding concept has often been confused with information hiding. Therefore, the authors call for a broadened view to encompass different knowledge types in future research and for further development of more reliable and valid measurement instruments with defined context to sufficiently measure knowledge hiding.

Keywords: knowledge hiding; information hiding; non-sharing behaviour; systematic literature review; artefact; codified knowledge; knowledge management; KM.

DOI: 10.1504/IJKMS.2025.146083

International Journal of Knowledge Management Studies, 2025 Vol.16 No.1, pp.1 - 26

Received: 01 Dec 2023
Accepted: 11 Dec 2024
Published online: 06 May 2025 *

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