Narcissism and knowledge hiding: The role of status-attaining motivation and status mutability

We used trait activation theory to investigate the relationship between narcissism and knowledge hiding based on a two-dimensional concept and a process model of narcissism. We collected data from 363 members of graduate and undergraduate research teams and found that narcissistic admiration had a significant negative impact on knowledge hiding, whereas narcissistic rivalry had a significant positive impact. The status-attaining motivation of prestige acted as a mediator between narcissistic admiration and knowledge hiding, while the motivation of dominance acted as a mediator between narcissistic rivalry and knowledge hiding. Status mutability served as a first-stage moderator, affecting the relationship between narcissistic admiration and prestige motivation, and the mediating effect of the motivation of prestige between narcissistic admiration and knowledge hiding. Status mutability moderated the relationship between narcissistic rivalry and dominance motivation, and the mediating effect of the motivation of dominance between narcissistic rivalry and knowledge hiding. This study expands understanding of knowledge-hiding antecedents and provides a valuable framework for reducing these behaviors in organizations.