From hiding to helping: a moral compensation perspective on knowledge behaviors in the workplace

Purpose Contrary to popular belief, knowledge hiding (KH) may not always be knowledge lost in its entirety. This study aims to examine how employees may restore prosocial behaviors after engaging in KH. Building on moral compensation and justice process theories, this study proposes a dual-pathway framework in which interpersonal justice (IJ) and positive affect (PA) independently buffer the negative effects of KH through distinct mechanisms of moral repair. Design/methodology/approach Survey data were collected from 215 employees. The author tested the proposed moderated models using Hayes’ PROCESS macro with 20,000 bootstrap samples. The models explained up to 42% of the variance in organizational citizenship behavior toward individuals (OCBI) and 25% in KS, highlighting the explanatory strength of the dual-pathway framework. Findings KH was negatively associated with knowledge sharing (KS), OCBI and organizational citizenship behavior toward the organization (OCBO). IJ moderated these relationships by activating a moral pathway, whereby fair and respectful treatment prompted perpetrators to “make things right.” PA also moderated the effects of KH, supporting a hedonic/instrumental pathway in which positive emotional states foster cooperation independently of justice cues. Both IJ and PA buffered KH’s negative effects, but no three-way interaction emerged, suggesting they operate as parallel rather than synergistic mechanisms. Originality/value This study advances KH research by introducing a dual-pathway framework of moral repair. The author clarifies how prosociality after KH can arise either from moral obligation (justice-based) or from affect-driven generosity, offering actionable insights for managers seeking to mitigate the negative consequences of KH.