Driven online: how organisational knowledge-hiding fuels knowledge-seeking in virtual communities

Zeeshan Ahmed Bhatti; Ghulam Ali Arain; Hina Mahboob Yasin; Tahir Abbas Syed

Driven online: how organisational knowledge-hiding fuels knowledge-seeking in virtual communities

Zeeshan Ahmed Bhatti, Ghulam Ali Arain, Hina Mahboob Yasin, Tahir Abbas Syed

School of Organisations, Systems and People

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Abstract

While prior research has primarily focused on personal factors influencing online knowledge-seeking in virtual communities, this study examines the role of
organisational factors. Specifically, we investigate how supervisor knowledge-hiding, a behaviour typically associated with negative outcomes, can drive employees to seek knowledge externally. Drawing on Conservation
of Resources (COR) Theory, we develop and test a conceptual model through a three-wave time-lagged design survey of 370 employees based in the UK and the
US. Our findings reveal that when employees experience knowledge-hiding from their supervisors, they are more likely to disengage from internal sources
and turn to online virtual communities for knowledge-seeking.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the 59th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences
Publisher	New Jersey Institute for Technology
Publication status	Accepted for publication - 12 Sept 2025
Event	The 59th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences - Hyatt Regency Maui , Maui, United States Duration: 6 Jan 2026 → 9 Jan 2026 Conference number: 59

Conference

Conference	The 59th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences
Abbreviated title	HICSS
Country/Territory	United States
City	Maui
Period	6/01/26 → 9/01/26

Keywords

Online knowledge-seeking
Supervisor knowledge-hiding
Conservation of Resources Theory
Online virtual communities

Embargoed Document

Driven Online How Organisational Knowledge-Hiding Fuels Knowledge-Seeking in Virtual Communities
Accepted author manuscript (Post-print), 470 KB
Due to publisher’s copyright restrictions, this document is not freely available to download from this website until: 1/10/50

Cite this

@inproceedings{5f04a844e0b6451db8ea35555f4f0e94,

title = "Driven online: how organisational knowledge-hiding fuels knowledge-seeking in virtual communities",

abstract = "While prior research has primarily focused on personal factors influencing online knowledge-seeking in virtual communities, this study examines the role of organisational factors. Specifically, we investigate how supervisor knowledge-hiding, a behaviour typically associated with negative outcomes, can drive employees to seek knowledge externally. Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory, we develop and test a conceptual model through a three-wave time-lagged design survey of 370 employees based in the UK and the US. Our findings reveal that when employees experience knowledge-hiding from their supervisors, they are more likely to disengage from internal sources and turn to online virtual communities for knowledge-seeking. ",

keywords = "Online knowledge-seeking, Supervisor knowledge-hiding, Conservation of Resources Theory, Online virtual communities",

author = "Bhatti, \{Zeeshan Ahmed\} and Arain, \{Ghulam Ali\} and Yasin, \{Hina Mahboob\} and Syed, \{Tahir Abbas\}",

year = "2025",

month = sep,

day = "12",

language = "English",

booktitle = "Proceedings of the 59th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences",

publisher = "New Jersey Institute for Technology",

note = "The 59th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, HICSS ; Conference date: 06-01-2026 Through 09-01-2026",

}

Driven online: how organisational knowledge-hiding fuels knowledge-seeking in virtual communities. / Bhatti, Zeeshan Ahmed; Arain, Ghulam Ali; Yasin, Hina Mahboob et al.
Proceedings of the 59th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. New Jersey Institute for Technology, 2025.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

TY - GEN

T1 - Driven online: how organisational knowledge-hiding fuels knowledge-seeking in virtual communities

AU - Bhatti, Zeeshan Ahmed

AU - Arain, Ghulam Ali

AU - Yasin, Hina Mahboob

AU - Syed, Tahir Abbas

N1 - Conference code: 59

PY - 2025/9/12

Y1 - 2025/9/12

N2 - While prior research has primarily focused on personal factors influencing online knowledge-seeking in virtual communities, this study examines the role of organisational factors. Specifically, we investigate how supervisor knowledge-hiding, a behaviour typically associated with negative outcomes, can drive employees to seek knowledge externally. Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory, we develop and test a conceptual model through a three-wave time-lagged design survey of 370 employees based in the UK and the US. Our findings reveal that when employees experience knowledge-hiding from their supervisors, they are more likely to disengage from internal sources and turn to online virtual communities for knowledge-seeking.

AB - While prior research has primarily focused on personal factors influencing online knowledge-seeking in virtual communities, this study examines the role of organisational factors. Specifically, we investigate how supervisor knowledge-hiding, a behaviour typically associated with negative outcomes, can drive employees to seek knowledge externally. Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory, we develop and test a conceptual model through a three-wave time-lagged design survey of 370 employees based in the UK and the US. Our findings reveal that when employees experience knowledge-hiding from their supervisors, they are more likely to disengage from internal sources and turn to online virtual communities for knowledge-seeking.

KW - Online knowledge-seeking

KW - Supervisor knowledge-hiding

KW - Conservation of Resources Theory

KW - Online virtual communities

UR - https://hicss.hawaii.edu/

M3 - Conference contribution

BT - Proceedings of the 59th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences

PB - New Jersey Institute for Technology

T2 - The 59th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences

Y2 - 6 January 2026 through 9 January 2026

ER -

Driven online: how organisational knowledge-hiding fuels knowledge-seeking in virtual communities

Abstract

Conference

Keywords

Embargoed Document

Fingerprint

Cite this