Relations outside the workplace matter! A nexus of coworker ostracism, relational capital, alternate belongingness and knowledge hiding

PurposeThe current study aims to investigate the impact of coworker ostracism on coworker-directed knowledge hiding through the mediating role of relational social capital and moderating role of alternate belongingness in Pakistani higher educational settings.Design/methodology/approachA time-lagged study was carried out in which data from teaching and non-teaching faculty (N = 217) from the higher education sector of Lahore, Pakistan, were collected through multi-stage sampling. The collected data were analysed using moderated mediation analysis (PROCESS model 4 and 7).FindingsThe results revealed that ostracism from coworkers has an unfavourable impact on relational social capital that in turn promotes knowledge hiding. Nonetheless, if ostracized employees had sources to fulfil belongingness needs outside the work settings, this negative association was strengthened.Originality/valueThe authors have taken the role of belongingness outside the workplace in explaining the coworker ostracism and knowledge hiding relationship in higher educational settings and identified the explanatory role of relational social capital.