The relationship between bottom-line mentality and knowledge hiding: a moderated mediation model

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the mediating mechanisms and boundary conditions between negative leadership and employees' knowledge-related behaviors. Specifically, this study identifies effort-reward imbalance (ERI) as a mediating mechanism linking supervisor bottom-line mentality (BLM) to employee knowledge hiding, and investigates the extent to which this mediated relationship is moderated by employee perceived performance climate. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on conservation of resource theory, this study conducted a three-wave online survey among 305 employees to test the proposed moderated mediation model. Findings First, supervisor BLM was positively related to employee ERI. Second, ERI mediates the positive relationship between supervisor BLM and employee knowledge hiding. Third, perceived performance climate moderated the indirect relationship between BLM and knowledge hiding via ERI, such that this association was stronger when perceived performance climate was high. Originality/value This study adopts a moderated mediation model. First, it advances the ERI framework by highlighting its role as a psychological mechanism through which leadership shapes knowledge-related behaviors. Additionally, this study demonstrates that perceived performance climate moderates this relationship, emphasizing the role of work climate in shaping ERI and employee behaviors. These contributions offer a more comprehensive understanding of how contextual factors influence knowledge-related behaviors.