Dissecting the hidden triggers and consequences of knowledge sabotage: empirical evidence from global academic institutions

Purpose Grounded in social exchange theory, this paper aims to unveil how supervisor incivility and job insecurity influence academics’ engagement in knowledge sabotage, while also examining the moderating effect of workplace envy on these relationships. Besides, it uncovers how the two facets of knowledge sabotage and job insecurity contribute to academics’ intentions to leave their roles within the higher education setting. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research design was used to gather data through an online survey distributed to academic personnel working in higher education institutions across various countries. To analyse the collected data and evaluate the proposed hypotheses, PLS-SEM was used. Findings The empirical results reveal that supervisor incivility and job insecurity both exert a strong and significant positive influence on the two identified forms of knowledge sabotage. Moreover, these sabotage behaviours, along with job insecurity, play a crucial role in driving academics’ intentions to leave their positions. While workplace envy was generally not found to have a moderating effect, interestingly, the tendency to envy others was significantly associated with a stronger relationship between supervisor incivility and knowledge sabotage directed at co-workers. Originality/value This empirical work distinguishes itself through its novel examination of the primary antecedents and consequences of knowledge sabotage in higher education, incorporating a wide range of perspectives from faculty members across multiple nations. Furthermore, as far as the authors are aware, it is the first research to unveil how psychological factors (e.g. workplace envy) may act as moderators, potentially triggering acts of knowledge sabotage within academic institutions worldwide.