Knowledge hiding among regular and gig workers: triggered by isolation, prevented by resilience capacity

Purpose This study aims to investigate factors that trigger and prevent knowledge-hiding behaviors among regular and gig workers. Drawing on insights from organizational psychology literature, a conceptual framework is proposed by highlighting the roles of operational capacity, professional isolation and resilience capacity of employees. Comparative models were tested and evaluated for both regular and gig workers. Design/methodology/approach Cross-sectional data were collected from both regular workers and gig workers in information technology (IT) companies in Turkey. Multigroup comparisons and hypotheses were tested by path analyses. Findings Results revealed that by fostering operational capacity, businesses can directly and indirectly, through professional isolation, reduce knowledge-hiding behaviors in both regular and gig employees' relationships. It is also found that operational resilience does not protect against professional isolation. Instead, relational resilience capacity – defined as the ability to adapt and bounce back from adversity – emerges as a crucial protective factor. This effect is significant for gig workers but not for regular workers. Originality/value These findings provide important implications for the literature by focusing on how organizational and individual sources contribute to understanding knowledge hiding when regular and gig workers work together. The study emphasizes the growing prevalence of shared work environments where regular and gig workers must interact and how these groups perceive job demands and resources differently, creating distinct dynamics and challenges that justify the need for analyzing both groups.