Antecedents and consequences of knowledge hiding: A study on kitchen employees

This study aims to identify the dimensions, antecedents, and consequences of knowledge hiding behavior in the context of kitchen employees and to develop solution proposals to reduce this behavior. The literature shows that studies on knowledge hiding behavior have largely focused on the hotel sector. However, the limited number of studies that center on kitchen departments within food and beverage establishments, including hotel kitchens, increases the significance of this research. This situation makes it necessary to reveal how knowledge hiding behavior occurs and what its nature is under the unique working conditions of kitchen employees. The study adopted a qualitative research approach and employed semi-structured interviews as the data collection method. Interviews were conducted with 41 kitchen staff working in various hotels and restaurants in Ankara, Antalya, and Muğla, and the collected data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that in addition to the three dimensions of knowledge hiding discussed in the literature, a displacement-based dimension also emerged, providing an original contribution in the context of kitchen employees. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that antecedents such as experiencing injustice by the organization, fear of job loss, the desire to make the organization dependent on oneself, groupism, fixed mindset, underestimating others' competence, protecting trade secrets, colleagues' lack of discipline, hierarchical threats, favoritism based on hometown, salary concerns, competition, egocentrism, and career ambition play a significant role in the emergence of knowledge hiding. In addition, the study identified that knowledge hiding leads to consequences such as a tense working environment, organizational dependence on employees, failure to transfer kitchen culture, quitting the profession, loss of motivation, guest dissatisfaction, decline in product quality, and food waste. In conclusion, this study sheds light on the nature of knowledge hiding behavior in the kitchen industry, filling a gap in the literature and providing practical insights for food and beverage establishments to enhance knowledge sharing practices.