Citizenship as a moderator of social capital: knowledge hoarding in expatriate-dominated workplaces

Purpose This study aims to examine how national citizenship functions as an axis of power, shaping knowledge-sharing behaviours and social capital formation in the expatriate-dominated private sector of the United Arab Emirates. It focusses on the underexplored role of citizenship in knowledge hoarding, showing how such practices contribute to the organisational exclusion of Emirati nationals. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative, narrative methodology was used to capture Emirati employees’ lived experiences in public sector companies. Sixteen semi-structured interviews were analysed through the lens of social capital theory and its structural, relational and cognitive dimensions to interpret how knowledge flows align with citizenship and organisational belonging. Findings Expatriate employees, perceiving localisation as a threat to job security and workplace territoriality, engaged in strategic knowledge hoarding. This behaviour limited Emiratis’ access to networks and tacit knowledge, inhibited trust-building and curtailed workplace integration. National citizenship thus emerges as a decisive moderator of social capital in multinational workforces, shaping both inclusion and exclusion. Research limitations/implications National citizenship is identified as an enabler or inhibitor of social capital, prompting further research into how institutional markers of identity impact knowledge flows in multinational workplaces. Practical implications Findings highlight the need for managerial strategies that dismantle gatekeeping and promote inclusive knowledge-sharing, including mentoring schemes, transparent knowledge systems and cross-cultural training, to ensure the success of localisation policies. Originality/value This paper advances social capital theory by positioning national citizenship as a critical moderator, a dimension largely neglected in existing research. It contributes a novel perspective on knowledge withholding as a form of structural privilege, extending debates on workforce localisation, diversity and global mobility.