Obligations and feeling envied: a study of workplace status and knowledge hiding

Purpose Status is a key in the workplace. Although status is desirable when it has positive outcomes, little is known about its negative consequences. This study investigates both the bright and dark sides of workplace status in terms of employees' feelings and behaviors. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 227 employees in various industries at two time points. Findings Workplace status is associated with knowledge hiding through two opposing mechanisms: felt obligation to share knowledge and feeling envied. Practical implications Managers may need to direct high-status employees' attention to felt obligation to share knowledge and shift their attention away from feeling envied. Originality/value Our study enriches the understanding of workplace status by theoretically proposing and empirically testing a comprehensive framework that simultaneously considers its positive and negative impacts.