The Hidden Crisis at Work: Motivation and Performance in the Shadow of Ostracism and Knowledge Hiding.

This conceptual article explores the intertwined effects of workplace ostracism (WO) and knowledge hiding (KH)on employee motivation (EM) and performance (EP). Drawing on the Conservation of Resources (COR), Social Exchange(SET), and self-determination theories (SDT), this framework proposes a novel illustration of how WO and KH erodepsychological safety and trust, ultimately diminishing EM and subsequently EP. The aims of this study are as follows: (1)to examine the direct impact of workplace ostracism on employee performance, with an emphasis on how exclusionarysocial behaviors affect individual productivity and contribution within the organization; (2) to investigate the moderatingrole of knowledge hiding in the relationship between workplace ostracism and employee motivation, exploring how beingostracized influences employees’ willingness to share knowledge and how this, in turn, affects their intrinsic drive; and (3)to analyze the combined effect of workplace ostracism, knowledge hiding, and employee motivation on employeeperformance to understand the indirect pathways through which negative social dynamics influence overall jobeffectiveness. This study designates EM as a key mediator and KH as a moderator of these relationships. This studysuggests the necessity of addressing fundamental workplace behaviors to sustain motivation, foster inclusivity, and improveperformance, supported by practical HR strategies and future empirical research.