When Politics Backfire: How Knowledge Hiding Reduces Promotability in Political Workplaces

What is it about?

This study investigates how employees’ perceptions of organizational politics—when decision-making seems driven by favoritism or self-interest rather than merit—can indirectly harm their promotability. Drawing on conservation of resources (COR) theory, the authors propose that these perceptions drain psychological resources and prompt employees to protect what they have by engaging in knowledge hiding—withholding useful information from coworkers. While this may provide temporary satisfaction, it can ultimately undermine their chances for career advancement. Using multi-source, three-wave data from employees and supervisors in Peru, the study confirms that knowledge hiding mediates the negative link between perceived organizational politics and promotability. Employees who view decision-making as unfair are more likely to conceal valuable knowledge, harming their reputation and reducing managerial support for promotion. The study also shows that harmony motives matter: a strong motive to avoid conflict worsens this effect, while a strong motive to foster positive relationships mitigates it. Practically, this research warns that knowledge hiding—though subtle—can backfire in politically charged settings. Employees who seek to “even the score” by withholding knowledge may inadvertently stall their own advancement. Organizations should therefore focus on transparent decision-making and encourage open, cooperative knowledge sharing to protect both trust and talent mobility.

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Photo by Cherrydeck on Unsplash

Photo by Cherrydeck on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This research is unique in revealing a concealed mechanism—knowledge hiding—that links organizational politics to employees’ diminished promotability. By integrating COR theory with the dualistic model of harmony motives, it extends prior work on politics and deviance, showing that self-protective responses to unfair environments can be self-defeating. The study distinguishes between disintegration avoidance and harmony enhancement motives, illustrating how these two relational orientations differentially shape whether employees turn frustration into covert retaliation or constructive restraint. The study is timely as many organizations operate in climates where perceived favoritism and competition are common. Conducted in Peru, a context emphasizing social harmony and relational balance, the findings shed light on how employees’ cultural and interpersonal motives determine whether they respond to politics destructively or adaptively. In an era when knowledge is a central career resource, the research underscores the need for leaders to reward openness and integrity—so that political behavior does not erode both trust and promotability within the workplace.