Mechanisms of the Influence of Job Stress Perception on Knowledge Hiding Behavior - A Study Based on Chinese Cultural Perspectives

With the advancement of science and technology and the evolution of society, employee stress has increasingly become a critical issue in the workplace. Drawing on the cognitive appraisal theory of stress and the conservation of resources theory, this study employs the SOR analytical framework to construct a relational model among job stress perception, uncertainty perception, and knowledge hiding. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey of 388 employees. Furthermore, digital transformation clarity and superior-subordinate guanxi were introduced as moderating variables to explore the mechanisms and boundary conditions underlying employees’ knowledge hiding behaviors. The results indicate that: (1) Employees’ uncertainty perception is positively influenced by job stress perception and, in turn, positively predicts knowledge hiding; (2) Job stress perception significantly and positively affects knowledge hiding, with uncertainty perception playing a significant mediating role in this relationship; (3) Both digital transformation clarity and superior-subordinate guanxi significantly and negatively moderate the direct effect of job stress perception on knowledge hiding, as well as the mediating effect of uncertainty perception. This study enriches the understanding of the antecedents and boundary conditions of knowledge hiding behaviors and offers practical implications for enhancing knowledge management practices, particularly within Chinese cultural contexts.