LMX differentiation and knowledge hiding: the roles of LMX ambivalence and social comparison orientation

Purpose This study draws upon social comparison theory and conservation of resources theory to investigate the impact of perceived leader-member exchange differentiation (PLMXD) on employee knowledge hiding. Design/methodology/approach Surveying 305 employees from Chinese organizations, we employed partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine hypotheses. Findings PLMXD was positively related to LMX ambivalence, and LMX ambivalence was positively related to knowledge hiding. Furthermore, the relationship between PLMXD and knowledge hiding was mediated by LMX ambivalence. Social comparison orientation moderated the relationship between PLMXD and LMX ambivalence. Originality/value Our findings not only corroborate with prior research indicating that employees react negatively to PLMXD, but also explore how and under which conditions such a negative relationship is more likely to occur.