The Effect of Knowledge Hiding on the Relationship Among Territoriality, Organization Embeddedness, Ethical Leadership, and Workplace Deviance

Workplace deviance of employees has been vitally reported as a threatening issue for the well-being of organizations and their employees. Therefore, the study aims to bring the attention of readers towards this emerging topic by examining the mediating effect of knowledge hiding on the relationship of territoriality, organization embeddedness, ethical leadership, and workplace deviance (WD) using social exchange, social learning, psychological ownership, embeddedness, and reluctance theory. The utilization of these five theories is strategically aligned to capture the multidimensional aspects of organizational behavior, fostering a more complete perspective on the complex relation of social, psychological, and contextual factors. This comprehensive approach enhances the robustness of our research, contributing to a deeper understanding of the complexities essential in workplace dynamics. This study employed a quantitative research approach and cross-sectional research design. Data was collected from 248 respondents through a survey questionnaire by using non-probability convenience sampling techniques and analyzed through Structural equation modeling (SEM) on Smart PLS and determine the direct and indirect effect. The findings indicate that workplace deviance is significantly influenced by territoriality, ethical leadership, and knowledge hiding. Additionally, knowledge hiding was identified as a mediator, exhibiting complementary mediation in the relationship between exogenous and endogenous variables. The study identifies the importance of territoriality, organizational embeddedness, ethical leadership, and knowledge hiding, contributing to the understanding of how these factors foster a positive organizational climate, reducing the likelihood of workplace deviance. This study expands the literature on workplace deviance behavior helping in understanding the behavior and perception of employees at the workplace and identifies the way forward to address the negative consequences of workplace deviance. The results will assist management, particularly managers in organizations in Pakistan, in understanding the factors that prompt employees to engage in counterproductive behaviors and how to mitigate them.