STARA awareness and knowledge hiding behavior: the moderating role of perceived organizational support and competitive psychological climate

Purpose Drawing on the lens of cognitive evaluation theory and social exchange theory, this study aims to explain the relationship between smart technology, artificial intelligence, robotics, and algorithms (STARA) awareness and three dimensions of knowledge hiding behavior (KHB) (playing dumb, evasive hiding and rationalized hiding) and examines the moderating roles of perceived organizational support (POS) and competitive psychological climate (CPC) in these relationships. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected with through structured questionnaires from 349 employees of service companies in Vietnam. Structural equation modeling (partial least squares) was used to analyze the data. Findings The results of data analysis showed that STARA awareness has a positive relationship with dimensions of KHB, in which the effect on rationalized hiding is stronger. At the same time, the moderating roles of POS and CPC were also confirmed. POS was shown to reduce and CPC to increase the positive effects of the above relationships. Practical implications The author offers several important implications for reducing KHB in service companies, including analyzing each job that can and cannot be replaced by STARA and informing employees in advance about the functionality of STARA; paying more attention to rationalized hiding, that is, always asking whether it is right to refuse to share knowledge, even if it is reasonable; considering training courses on technological knowledge, union concerns, guidance and encouragement of employees; focusing on the interests of each employee, showing clarity in communicating information to each employee, listening to the opinions of employees and customers throughout the STARA implementation process. Originality/value The author extends the research on the consequences of STARA awareness, especially in the service industry, by arguing and finding that STARA awareness increases KHB of service employees. The study specifically examines the influence of each dimension of KHB rather than treating it as a composite construct. In addition to mentioning the negative effects of STARA awareness, the author also focuses on the remedies through two moderator variables, POS and CPC.