The dual-pathway mechanism of the relative performance gap on knowledge hiding from the perspective of stress cognitive appraisal
Xueyan Zhang, Yuhan CaoPurpose
Relative performance gaps (RPGs) between employees and higher-performing coworkers are common in organizations, yet prior research has reported mixed findings regarding their consequences. Drawing on stress cognitive appraisal theory, this study aims to examine the relationship between RPG and knowledge hiding (KH) through two proposed appraisal pathways, hindrance appraisal and challenge appraisal and whether perceived procedural justice (PPJ) moderates these relationships.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected through an online survey of 400 employees. Established scales were adapted to the performance-comparison context. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess construct distinctiveness, and bootstrapping procedures were used to test the direct, mediating and moderated mediation effects.
Findings
RPG was positively related to KH. More importantly, RPG showed opposing indirect associations with KH through hindrance and challenge appraisal. Hindrance appraisal was positively related to KH, whereas challenge appraisal was negatively related to KH. In addition, PPJ conditioned these indirect associations by weakening the positive indirect association through hindrance appraisal and strengthening the negative indirect association through challenge appraisal.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature by explaining why RPG may produce divergent knowledge behaviors rather than uniformly positive or negative consequences. It advances an appraisal-based understanding of RPG by clarifying how challenge and hindrance appraisals are associated with divergent knowledge-hiding responses and identifies PPJ as an important contextual condition shaping whether RPG is interpreted as a threat or as an opportunity for growth.