Abusive supervision and knowledge hiding: the moderating roles of future orientation and Islamic work ethics

Purpose Abusive supervision is found to influence the workplace negatively but how it predicts knowledge hiding behavior is an area that has not gained due attention in the literature. To this backdrop, this study aims to investigate the effect of abusive supervision on knowledge hiding behavior considering future orientation and Islamic work ethics (IWE) as moderators. Design/methodology/approach The data from 396 employees, working in both manufacturing and service sectors, is collected through a questionnaire-based survey in two-lags between November 2019 and January 2020. Findings Structural equation modeling highlighted that a positive relationship exists between abusive supervision and knowledge hiding behavior. Moreover, higher levels of IWE and future orientation are found to weaken the said relationship. Practical implications This paper provides practical understandings into extenuating the destructive effects of the dark side of leadership (abusive supervision), a prevalent issue in Asian societies, through the lens of personality (future orientation) and belief (IWE). Originality/value This study adds value by investigating the relationship between abusive supervision and knowledge hiding by demonstrating the moderating effects of IWE and future orientation in the context of Pakistan.