Leader-member exchange differentiation, knowledge hiding, and employee voice: Mediation of workplace ostracism

Background and Purpose: The effectiveness of knowledge sharing between leaders and their subordinates in organisational settings is a crucial factor in determining both their performance and the success of the organisation. This study contends that existing literature requires additional exploration of the correlation between leader-member exchange and knowledge hiding. Based on the conservation of resource theory, this study investigates the relationship between leader-member exchange and knowledge hiding, with workplace ostracism mediating the relationship, and employee voice in a public sector organisational context in Pakistan. Methodology: This study applied a quantitative methodology to examine the hypotheses empirically. A cross-sectional survey method was employed to collect data from 156 employees of Pakistani public sector organisations. The data was then analysed using Preacher and Hayes mediation technique to explore the mediation in the study model. Findings: The empirical results confirmed the study's theory that workplace ostracism plays a mediating role in the relationship between leader-member exchange and employees' knowledge hiding. The study finds that in the absence of high-quality leader-member exchange, employees tend to exhibit knowledge hiding as they feel ostracised by their supervisors in public sector organizations in Pakistan. Contributions: This study provides novel insights into the relationship between leader-member exchange, workplace ostracism, and knowledge hiding in a Pakistani public sector working environment.