Organizational Politics: Insights on Promotive and Prohibitive Voice and the Roles of Knowledge Hiding and Organizational Commitment

This study examines the impact of organizational politics on voice behavior within medium‐ and large‐sized manufacturing enterprises (MLMEs) in China. Drawing on a sample of 398 employees, we examine the intricate relationships involving organizational politics, knowledge hiding, organizational commitment, and voice behavior, framed by social exchange theory (SET) and social cognitive theory (SCT). We formulate a conceptual model and test it using structural equation modeling (SEM). Our analysis, conducted using AMOS software, reveals that organizational politics does not directly impact promotive voice but directly impacts prohibitive voice in the workplace. Knowledge hiding serves as a mediating factor between organizational politics and two types of voice behavior—promotive and prohibitive. Specifically, knowledge hiding fully mediates the relationship with promotive voice and partially mediates the relationship with prohibitive voice. Furthermore, organizational commitment moderates these effects, significantly impacting the degree of knowledge hiding and subsequent voice behaviors. The findings underscore the critical roles that organizational politics and organizational commitment play in shaping employee behaviors and highlight actionable strategies for fostering a more open and communicative organizational environment. These insights are crucial for business leaders and HR practitioners aiming to enhance management practices and cultivate positive organizational cultures in Chinese MLMEs.