Does religiosity matter in mitigating knowledge-hiding behaviour? A study on academics in Indonesia

Purpose This study aims to examine the moderating role of religiosity in the relationship between territoriality, personal competitiveness and knowledge-hiding behaviour. Some control variables were also examined, such as gender and generational cohort (i.e. Gen X and Gen Y), to provide a contextual understanding of knowledge-hiding behaviour in Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach The authors used a quantitative research design by employing a survey to collect the data. A total of 159 academics at various higher education institutions (HEIs) in Indonesia participated in this study. The data were analysed using Warp partial least squares. Findings This study provided insights into academics’ knowledge-hiding behaviour, confirming symbolic interactionism theory. The authors found that religiosity weakens the relationship between personal competitiveness and knowledge hiding. In addition, the effect of personal competitiveness on knowledge hiding is more substantial among male and Gen Y academics. Practical implications HEIs should strengthen the internalisation of religious values, especially teachings that encourage altruism and cooperation among academics to achieve common goals. Such institutions should also develop policies and activities that foster religiosity, reduce knowledge hiding and balance academics’ personal goals with collective and institutional goals. Originality/value While knowledge-hiding studies in HEIs are still at an embryonic stage, this study proposes religiosity to mitigate personal competitiveness and knowledge-hiding behaviour. This study also offers contextual insights into knowledge-hiding behaviour among Indonesian academics, examining gender and generational cohorts.