As society enters the knowledge-driven era, the value of knowledge as a strategic resource has consistently increased. For decades, HRD scholars and practitioners have paid attention to knowledge sharing in order to enhance development and performance. However, individuals tend to deliberately conceal their knowledge because of the perceived advantages of keeping their knowledge to themselves. This knowledge-related behavior, knowledge hiding, is now pervasive but remains underexplored in the HRD field. To address this gap, this study conducts a scoping review to map how knowledge hiding has been examined in relation to HRD and to propose integrative frameworks for future research. The review synthesizes findings across diverse disciplines, identifying conceptual trends, gaps, and contextual conditions influencing knowledge hiding in workplace settings. The study challenges the dominant academic discourses that have long widely emphasized knowledge sharing by introducing knowledge hiding as a distinct and socio-strategic behavior worthy of independent scholarly attention. It offers theoretical and practical implications for HRD professionals, including actionable strategies to mitigate knowledge hiding and foster supportive organizational climates.
Chung et al. (2026) studied this question.