KNOWLEDGE HIDING BEHAVIOUR AMONG UNDERGRADUATES

Abstract

This research explores the knowledge hiding behaviour of university undergraduates in Sri Lanka. The study analyses undergraduates’ knowledge hiding behaviour based on their gender, career expectations, and year of study. Moreover, this study analyses the relationship between extraversion personality traits and three different dimensions of knowledge hiding behaviour (playing dumb, rationalized hiding, and evasive hiding). In addition, the research identifies the impact of extraversion on these dimensions. The purpose of this research was attained through quantitative research methodology. The data was collected from 239 undergraduates through a questionnaire using the snowball sampling technique. Multiple regression model, correlation analysis, ANOVA, and t-test were used as analysis techniques. The findings revealed that undergraduates who aim for academic careers and undergraduates who are female and in their first academic year tend to hide more knowledge. The study also underpinned the relationship and impact of extraversion traits on knowledge hiding dimensions. Very few studies have been conducted to explore the knowledge hiding behavior among undergraduates. Thus, the particular study fills this gap in the literature. To the author's knowledge, this is the first research to explore knowledge hiding behaviour based on the undergraduates’ demographic variables. Exploring undergraduates’ knowledge hiding behaviour is important as they are the future workforce. This study brings ample practical implications and provides insights for many researchers to further research this area. The researcher believes that the findings will attract practitioners in the education context and organization context to overcome the knowledge hiding behaviour