Validation of knowledge hiding measurement in South Korea

Abstract

Purpose

Given that knowledge hiding hampers the management of employee knowledge, it is important to measure the phenomena before applying the intervention to alleviate it. This paper aims to validate knowledge hiding measurements in South Korea.

Design/methodology/approach

The research collected 420 and 415 different Korean employee samples for each study, and they responded to their quality of knowledge hiding. The research conducted factor analysis using Mplus software and the Rasch model using JMetrik software based on the item response theory.

Findings

The research validated Korean versions of knowledge hiding measurements consisting of three factors and ten items. The study also found that knowledge hiding has a negative relationship with knowledge sharing and an unexpectedly positive relationship with team creativity. The study confirmed that the modified measurement yields acceptable discriminant and convergent validity.

Research limitations/implications

The research relied on self-reported data and may have an issue measuring their knowledge hiding generously. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to measure it from others, including supervisors and colleagues. This research has theoretical implications for psychometrically and systematically validating the measurement.

Practical implications

The research includes practical implications for contributing to Human resource development practitioners could assess employee traits accurately and manage their negative knowledge behavior.

Social implications

The research suggests the implications for detecting a positive relationship between knowledge hiding and team creativity. The study discussed that the specific climate could contribute to team creativity in Eastern contexts.

Originality/value

The research identified the importance of a psychometric validating process in the development of measurements.