Explicit knowledge concealment as a challenge for knowledge management in organisations: an empirical analysis

The reasons for the prevalence and determinants of behavior associated with the concealment of explicit knowledge (EKC) in the workplace are considered. The scale of this phenomenon is determined, the analysis of the factors contributing to its manifestation in the organizational context is carried out. An anonymous online survey was used as a methodological approach, in which 87 employees representing various organizations and industries participated. The questionnaire included questions about the demographic characteristics of respondents, hypothetical scenarios of strategic nuclear forces EKC, and an assessment of the degree of agreement with various behaviors in situations related to knowledge exchange. The results of the analysis confirmed that more than half of the study participants (51.7%) participated in some form of egocentric behavior related to EKC. The hypotheses put forward about the relationship between certain responses to requests for knowledge sharing and the manifestation of EKC have been partially confirmed. It was found that employees who imitate misunderstanding of colleagues' requests are more likely to demonstrate the behavior of EKC. The reasons for this behavior are discussed, including fear of losing influence, concerns about information confidentiality, and lack of trust in the team. It emphasizes the need to create a culture in organizations based on trust and openness, actively encouraging knowledge sharing and ensuring that privacy policies do not become an obstacle to the free dissemination of information. The directions for further research are proposed, in particular, the study of the influence of factors such as job satisfaction and organizational commitment on the behavior associated with EKC.