Perceived interactional injustice and knowledge sabotage behavior: the roles of self-serving behavior and moral identity

Purpose Based on the conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study aims to investigate how perceived interactional injustice impacts knowledge sabotage behavior among employees through the mediating role of self-serving behavior. Additionally, this work explores the moderating mechanism of moral identity in the relationship between perceived interactional injustice and knowledge sabotage behavior. Design/methodology/approach Three time-lagged sets of data (n = 302) were collected among employees in Vietnamese firms. The partial least squares–structural equation modeling method was applied to test the research hypotheses. Findings Empirical findings indicate that perceived interactional injustice positively impacts knowledge sabotage behavior. Furthermore, self-serving behavior mediates this relationship. The positive nexus between perceived interactional injustice and knowledge sabotage behavior is found to be weaker when employees display a high level of moral identity. Practical implications The empirical findings of this investigation offer significant insights for managers. The results of this study indicate that managers can reduce employees’ knowledge sabotage behavior by fostering interactional justice and moral identity. Originality/value This study advances the understanding of knowledge sabotage behavior via the predictive role of perceived interactional injustice and the mediating mechanism of self-serving behavior. Moreover, this study also extends the current knowledge by considering the moderating role of moral identity.